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SHAKESPEARE'S
SB
HISTORY OF
KING HENRY THE SIXTH
Part III
EDITED, WITH NOTES
BY
WILLIAM J. ROLFE, Litt.D.
FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL,
CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK • :• CINCINNATI . :• CHICAGO
AMERICAN BOOK COW£MSX
/3 Y- V&.&OJZ
" OCT 25 1907 *)
* - /
Copyright, i88a and 1898, by
HARPER & BROTHERS.
Copyright, 1905, by
WILLIAM J. ROLFE.
HBNRY VI. PART III.
W. P. I
PREFACE
As this play was an old one, revised to some ex-
tent by Shakespeare in his 'prentice days, it is very
seldom, if ever, read in secondary schools and Shake-
speare clubs, or by other students and readers until
they have become somewhat familiar with the dramatist.
These and other minor reasons naturally affected my
treatment of the play in the original edition of 1882,
and have also had their influence in the present revision.
The general plan of the new series has, however, been
thoroughly carried out in both the introduction and the
notes.
In the Appendix (pp. 229-232) I think I have set-
tled the question whether Chettle, in his comments
on Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, refers to Shakespeare
(rather than one of the three dramatists whom Greene
addresses) as " exelent in the qualitie he professes "
and praised by " divers of worship " for " his facetious
grace in writing."
CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction to the Third Part of King Henry the
Sixth 9
The History of the Play 9
The Historical Sources of the Plot 13
General Comments on the Play 13
King Henry the Sixth. Part III 23
Act I 25
Act II 5 1
Act III 81
Act IV 107
ActV 135
Notes 161
Appendix
Greened Groatsworth of Wit 229
The Time- Analysis of the Play 233
List of Characters in the Play 235
Index of Words and Phrases Explained . . . 238
Monument to Henry VI
Edward, Prince of Wales
INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD PART
OF KING HENRY THE SIXTH
The History of the Play
The Second Part of Henry VI., like the First Part,
was first printed, so far as we know, in the folio of 1623.
The two plays, which are closely connected in their
history, are recasts of two earlier plays, published in
1594 and 1595. These are entitled, respectively,
"The First part of the Contention betwixt the two
famous Houses of Yorke and Lancaster ; " and " The
true Tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke, and the death
of good King Henrie the Sixfc, vnfti V5&& ^\\s&s. ssss&ss&r
9
12 Third Part of King Henry VI
The earliest known allusion to any of these plays,
and one that has a significant bearing upon the question
of their authorship, is in Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, a
pamphlet written a short time before his death in Sep-
tember, 1592. In the parting words addressed " To
those Gentlemen his Quondam acquaintance, that spend
their wits in making Plaies," he says : " Yes, trust them
not : for there is an vpstart Crow, beautified with our
feathers, that, with his Tygers heart wrapt in a Players
hide, supposes he is as well able to bumbast out a blanke
verse as the best of you : and being an absolute Johannes
fac totum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene
in a countrie." By " Shake-scene " it is certain that he
meant Shakespeare ; and the " Tygers heart," etc., is a
parody of 3 Henry VI. i. 4. 137 : " O tiger's heart
wrapp'd in a woman's hide ! " Some believe that the
reference here is to Shakespeare as a player, and not
as a writer; but the more probable meaning is that
Shakespeare had borrowed from Greene and his
friends, and that the line parodied was one of his
plagiarisms. 1
As to the date of the plays, all that can be said is
that the earlier ones at least must have been written
before 1592, when Greene's Groatsworth of Wit was
written ; and the revision, if Marlowe had a hand in it,
must have been made before his death in 1593. Even
if the later plays are all Shakespeare's they cannot well
1 For further discussion of this subject, see the Appendix to the
present volume.
Introduction 13
be dated later than 1594, as they preceded Richard III.
which was probably written in 1594 or 1595.
The Historical Sources of the Plot
The Contention and the True Tragedie appear to have
been founded on HalPs Chronicle rather than Holin-
shed's ; but in the revision of the plays the latter was also
used, as the quotations in the Notes will show.
General Comments on the Play
Knight, in his Essay on Henry VI. and Richard HI .,
mentioned above, remarks : —
" Sir Walter Scott somewhere speaks, through one
of his characters, of the ' Lancastrian prejudices ' of
Shakspere. The great novelist had probably in his
mind the delineation of Richard. But it would be diffi-
cult, we think, to have conducted the entire chronicle
history of the Contention between the two famous Houses
0/ York and Lancaster with more rigid impartiality.
This just and tolerant view of human events and char-
acters constitutes one of the most remarkable peculiari-
ties of the mind of Shakspere; and its manifestation
in the dramas before us furnishes one of the many
proofs, and to us not the least convincing, that they
could alone have emanated from that mind. For, let us
turn to the very first scenes of these dramas, and we shall
find the character of the Lancastrian Margaret gradu-
ally displaying itself in an aptitude for bold and dan-
gerous intrigue, founded upon Yiex \K\&fe w\^w^^\«^
14 Third Part of King Henry VI
of a rival in authority. The Duchess of Gloster is
tempted by her own weak ambition to meddle with the
' lime-twigs ' that have been set for her. But it is the
passionate hatred of Margaret, lending itself to schemes
of treachery and bloodshed, that drives on the murder of
the 'good Duke Humphrey.' With the accomplices of
Margaret the retribution is instant and terrible. The
banished Suffolk falls, not by the hand of the law, but
by some mysterious agency which appears to have armed
against him a power mightier than the law, which seizes
upon its victim with an obdurate ferocity, and hurries
him to death in the name of a wild and irregular justice.
To the second great conspirator against the Protector
the retribution is even more fearful — the death, not of
violence, but of mental torture, far more terrible than
any bodily pain. The 'Look, look, comb down his
hair ! ' of Beaufort, speaks of sufferings far higher than
those of the proud Suffolk, when the pirate had de-
nounced him as ' Pole, puddle, kennel, sink, and dirt ! '
and he saw the prophecy of the ' cunning wizard ' about
to be accomplished. The justice which followed the
other conspirator against Humphrey had not yet un-
sheathed its sword. His punishment was postponed
till the battle-day of Wakefield.
" The scenes of the first four acts of the First Part of
the Contention may appear to a superficial observation
to be very slightly linked with the after-scenes of the
great contest of the Roses. But it was the object of
the poet to show the beginnings of faction, continued
Introduction 15
onward in the same form from the previous drama.
The Protectorship was essentially a government of
weakness, through the jealousies which it engendered
and the intrigues by which it was surrounded. But the
removal of the Protector left the government more
weak, subjected as it then was to the capricious guidance
of the imbecility of Henry and the violence of Margaret.
Of such a rule popular commotions are the natural
fruit. The author of the Contention, with a depth of
political wisdom which Shakspere invariably displays,
has exhibited the insurrection of Cade, not as a revolt
for specific objects, such as the removal of public
oppressors or the redress of popular wrongs, but as a
movement of the most brutal ignorance, instigated by a
coarse ruffian, upon promises which could be realized
in no condition of society, and for ends which proposed
only such peace and security as would result from the
overthrow of all rule and order. * You shall have seven
halfpenny loaves for a penny, and the three-hooped pot
shall have ten hoops, and it shall be felony to drink
small beer/ is the proper prologue to i Henceforward
all things shall be in common, and in Cheapside shall
my palfrey go to grass/ The same political sagacity
has given us the inconstancy, as well as the violence,
of the multitude. Nor are these remarkable scenes an
episode only in this great dramatic history. Cade
perishes, but York is in arms. The civil war is
founded upon the popular tumult.
"The civil war is begun. TYieXox\asX&«x^\s\^ft.
1 6 Third Part of King Henry VI
field. The poet has delineated the character of their
leader with a nice discrimination, and certainly without
any of the coarseness of partisanship. He conveys to
us that York is ambitious and courageous, but some-
what weak, and, to a great extent, a puppet in the
hands of others. In the early scene in the Temple-
garden his ambition is rashly discovered, in a war of
words, commenced in accident and terminated in fruit-
less passion. That ambition first contents itself * to be
restored to my blood/ And when Henry grants this
wish the submission of the half-rebel is almost grovel-
ling:—
' Thy humble servant vows obedience,
And humble service, till the point of death.'
The full development of his ambition is the result of his
estimation of the character of Henry, and his sense of
the advantage which he derives from the factions which
grow out of an imbecile government. But he is still
only a dissembler, exciting his fancies with some
shadowy visions of a crown, lending himself to the dark
intrigues of his natural and avowed enemies, and calling
up the terrible agency of popular violence, reckless of
any consequences so that confusion be produced : —
' From Ireland then comes York again
To reap the harvest which that coystrill sow'd.'
The schemes of York are successful, and he is at length
in arms ; but he still dissembles. When Buckingham
demands f the reason of these arms,' and addresses him
Introduction 17
as a * subject, as I am,' his wounded pride has vent in
the original play in a few words. But Shakspere, in his
additions to the sketch, has marked the inflated weak-
ness of York's character by putting in his mouth words
of ' sound and fury ' which he is afraid to speak aloud : —
' O, I could hew up rocks, and fight with them,
I am so angry at these abject terms;
And now, like Ajax Telamonius,
On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury !
I am far better born than is the king,
More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts;
But I must make fair weather yet awhile,
Till Henry be more weak and I more strong.'
Passion, however, precipitates that decided movement
which prudence would have avoided ; and the battle of
St. Alban's is the result.
" The poet has now fairly opened * The purple testa-
ment of bleeding war.' Smothered dislikes are now to
become scorching hatreds ; and the domestic affections,
bruised and wounded, are to be the stimulants of the
most savage revenge. Shakspere has, with wonderful
knowledge of human nature, made the atrocities of
Clifford spring from the very depths of his filial love.
The original conception is found in the Contention ; but
its elaboration in the Second Part of Henry VI. is
perhaps unsurpassed in beauty of expression by any
passage of our matchless poet: —
' Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
3 HENRY VI— 2
1 8 Third Part of King Henry VI
The silver livery of advised age,
And in thy reverence and thy chair days thus
To die in ruffian battle? Even at this sight
My heart is turn'd to stone; and while 't is mine
It shall be stony.'
With this preparation the savage ferocity of Clifford
in the murder of Rutland is rendered less revolting :
' Thy father slew my father, therefore die.' This is the
key to his cold-blooded participation in the butchery
of York : * There 's for my oath, there 's for my father's
death.'
"And what a real exhibition is this of the foulest
crimes perpetrated under gentle impulses, where ill-
regulated love and hate keep together as twin-sisters I
But this is chivalry. Here, even the kindly affections
have an aspect of intense selfishness ; and * fierce wars
and faithful loves ' spring from the same want of the
principle of self-control, and the same ignorance of the
duties of a large and comprehensive charity. The par-
tisanship of chivalry, displaying itself in bold adven-
ture and desperate courage, looks to be something
high and glorious. But it is the same blind emanation
of self-love as the factious partisanship of modern poli-
tics, in which the leader and the serf are equally indif-
ferent to the justice of the quarrel, and equally regardless
of the ends by which victory is to be achieved. Shak-
spere has given us every light and shadow of the par-
tisanship of chivalry in his delineation of the various
characters in these two wonderful dramas. Apart and
Introduction 19
isolated from all active agency in the quarrel stands
out the remarkable creation of Henry. The poet, with
his instinctive judgment, has given the king a much
higher character than the chroniclers assign to him.
Their relations leave little doubt upon our minds that
his imbecility was very nearly allied to utter incapacity ;
and that the thin partition between weakness and idiocy
was sometimes wholly removed. But Shakspere has
never painted Henry under this aspect : he has shown
us a king with virtues un suited to the age in which he
lived ; with talents unfitted for the station in which he
moved ; contemplative amidst friends and foes hurried
along by a distempered energy; peaceful under cir-
cumstances that could have no issue but in appeals to
arms ; just in thought, but powerless to assert even his
own sense of right amidst the contests of injustice
which hemmed him in. The entire conception of the
character of Henry, in connection with the circum-
stances to which it was subjected, is to be found in
the Parliament-scene of the Third Part of Henry VI.
This scene is copied from the Contention, with scarcely
the addition or alteration of a word. We may boldly
affirm that none but Shakspere could have depicted
with such marvellous truth the weakness, based upon
a hatred of strife — the vacillation, not of imbecile cun-
ning, but of clear-sighted candour — the assertion of
power through the influence of habit, but of a power
trembling even at its own authority — the glimmerings
of courage utterly extinguished by the tYtteaAs oi ' tcxs&&
2o Third Part of King Henry VI
men/ and proposing compromise even worse than
war. We request our readers to peruse this scene in
the Second Part of the Contention , and endeavour to
recollect if any poet besides Shakspere ever presented
such a reality in the exhibition of a mind whose prin-
ciples have no coherency and no self-reliance; one
moment threatening and exhorting his followers to
revenge, the next imploring them to be patient; now
urging his rival to peace, and now threatening war;
turning from the assertion of his title to acknowledge
its weakness; and terminating his display of 'words,
frowns, and threats' with 'Let me but reign in quiet
while I live/ It was weakness such as this which
inevitably raised up the fiery partisans that the poet
has so wonderfully depicted ; the bloody Clifford — the
' she-wolf of France ' — the dissembling York — the
haughty Warwick — the voluptuous Edward — and, last
and most terrible of all, he that best explains his own
character, ' I am myself alone.'
" One by one the partisans that are thus marshalled
by the poet in the Parliament-scene of London are
swept away by the steady progress of that justice which
rides over their violence and their subtlety. The hol-
low truce is broken. Margaret is ready to assail York
in his castle; York is prepared for the field, having
learned from the precocious sophist Richard how an
' oath is of no moment. ' Now are let loose all the ' dogs
of war.' The savage Clifford strikes down the inno-
cent Rutland; the more savage Margaret dips her nap-
Introduction 21
kin in his blood. York perishes under the prolonged
retribution that awaited the ambition that dallied with
murder and rebellion. Clifford, to whom nothing is so
odious as ' harmful pity,' falls in the field of Towton,
where the son was arrayed against the father, and the
father against the son ; and the king, more ' woe-begone '
than the unwilling victims of ambition, moralizes upon
the * happy life' of the * homely swain.' The great
actors of the tragedy are changed. Edward and
Richard have become the leaders of the Yorkists, with
Warwick, * the king-maker/ to rest upon. Henry has
fled to Scotland; Margaret to France. Then is un-
folded another leaf of that Sibylline book. Edward is
on the throne, careless of everything but self-gratifica-
tion; despising his supporters, offending even his
brothers. Warwick takes arms against him; Clarence
deserts to Warwick; Richard alone remains faithful,
sneering at his brother, and laughing in the conceal-
ment of his own motives for fidelity. Edward is a
fugitive, and finally a captive; but Richard redeems
him, and Clarence again cleaves to him. The second
revolution is accomplished. The * king-maker' yields
his * body to the earth ' in the field of Barnet ; Mar-
garet and her son become captives in the plains near
Tewkesbury. Then comes the terrible hour to the un-
happy queen — that hour which she foresaw not when
she gave the * bloody napkin ' to the wretched York —
that hour whose intensity of suffering reached its climax
of expression in ' You have no chi\dTeIv. , ^\&^\Ofcax^
22 Third Part of King Henry VI
is fled * To make a bloody supper in the Tower.' The
three that stab the defenceless Edward equally desire
another murder; but one is to do the work. It is
accomplished."
THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI
DRAMATIS PERSONS
King Henry the Sixth.
Edward, Prince of Wales, his son.
Lewis XL, King of France.
Duke of Somerset.
Duke of Exeter.
Earl of Oxford.
Earl of Northumberland.
Earl of Westmoreland.
Lord Clifford.
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York.
Edward, Earl of March, afterwards King Edward IV., \
Edmund, Earl of Rutland, [ .,
George, afterwards Duke of Clarence, [ IUS sons •
Richard, afterwards Duke of Gloster, J
Duke of Norfolk.
Marquess of Montague.
Earl of Warwick.
Earl of Pembroke.
Lord Hastings.
Lord Stafford.
i£ 8SS. mo^Tr, } »*• «° *• »*• °< *«*•
Henry, Earl of Richmond, a youth.
Lord Rivers, brother to Lady Grey.
Sir William Stanley.
Sir John Montgomery.
Sir John Somerville.
Tutor to Rutland.
Mayor of York.
Lieutenant of the Tower.
A Nobleman. Two Keepers. A Huntsman.
A Son that has killed his father.
A Father that has killed his son.
2ueen Margaret,
ady Grey, afterwards Queen to Edward IV.
Bona, sister to the French Queen.
Soldiers, Attendants, Messengers, Watchmen, etc.
Scene: England and France.
ACT I
Scene I. London, The Parliament-house
Alarum, Enter the Duke of York, Edward, Richard,
Norfolk, Montague, Warwick, and Soldiers
Warwick, I wonder how the king escap'd our hands.
York, While we pursued the horsemen of the North,
He slyly stole away and left his men,
Whereat the great Lord of Northumberland,
Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,
Cheer'd up the drooping army ; and \nmse\i,
25
26 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Lord Clifford, and Lord Stafford, all abreast,
Charg'd our main battle's front, and breaking in
Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.
Edward. Lord Stafford's father, Duke of Bucking-
ham, 10
Is either slain or wounded dangerously ;
I cleft his beaver with a downright blow.
That this is true, father, behold his blood.
[Showing his bloody sword.
Montague. And, brother, here 's the Earl of Wilt-
shire's blood, [To York, showing his.
Whom I encounter 'd as the battles join'd.
Richard. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I
did. [ Throwing down the Duke of Somersefs head.
York. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my sons. —
But is your grace dead, my Lord of Somerset ?
Norfolk. Such hope have all the line of John of
Gaunt !
Richard. Thus do I hope to shake King Henry's
head. 20
Wanuick. And so do I. — Victorious Prince of York,
Before I see thee seated in that throne
Which now the house of Lancaster usurps,
I vow by heaven these eyes shall never close.
This is the palace of the fearful king,
And this the regal seat ; possess it, York,
For this is thine, and not King Henry's heirs'.
York. Assist me, then, sweet Warwick, and I will ;
For hither we have broken in by force.
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 27
Norfolk. We 11 all assist you ; he that flies shall die.
York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk. — Stay by me, my
lords ; — 31
And, soldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night
Warwick. And when the king comes, offer him no
violence,
Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce. [They retire.
York. The queen this day here holds her parliament,
But little thinks we shall be of her council.
By words or blows here let us win our right.
Richard. Arm'd as we are, let 's stay within this house.
Warwick. The bloody parliament shall this be calPd,
Unless Plantagenet, Duke of York, be king, 40
And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice
Hath made us bywords to our enemies.
York. Then leave me not, my lords ; be resolute.
I mean to take possession of my right.
Warwick. Neither the king, nor he that loves him
best,
The proudest he that holds up Lancaster,
Dare stir a wing if Warwick shake his bells.
1 11 plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares. —
Resolve thee, Richard ; claim the English crown.
[Warwick leads York to the throne ', who seats himself.
Flourish. Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northum-
berland, Westmoreland, Exeter, and the rest
King Henry. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel
sits, v>
28 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Even in the chair of state ! belike he means,
Back'd by the power of Warwick, that false peer,
To aspire unto the crown and reign as king. —
Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father ;
And thine, Lord Clifford; and you both have vow'd
revenge
On him, his sons, his favourites, and his friends.
Northumberland, If I be not, heavens be reveng'd
on me !
Clifford, The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in
steel.
Westmoreland, What ! shall we suffer this ? let 's
pluck him down;
My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it. 60
King Henry, Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmore-
land.
Clifford, Patience is for poltroons, such as he ;
He durst not sit there had your father hVd.
My gracious lord, here in the parliament
Let us assail the family of York.
Northumberland, Well hast thou spoken, cousin ; be
it so.
King Henry, Ah, know you not the city favours them,
And they have troops of soldiers at their beck ?
Exeter, But when the duke is slain, they 11 quickly
fly.
King Henry, Far be the thought of this from Henry's
heart, 70
To make a shambles of the parliament-house !
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 29
Cousin of Exeter, frowns, words, and threats
Shall be the war that Henry means to use. —
[They advance to the duke.
Thou factious Duke of York, descend my throne,
And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet ;
I am thy sovereign.
York, I am thine.
Exeter. For shame, come down ; he made thee Duke
of York.
York. *T was my inheritance, as the earldom was.
Exeter. Thy father was a traitor to the crown.
Wat wick. Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown 80
In following this usurping Henry.
Clifford. Whom should he follow, but his natural
king ?
Warwick. True, Clifford ; and that *s Richard, Duke
of York.
King Henry. And shall I stand, and thou sit in my
throne ?
York. It must and shall be so. Content thyself.
Warwick. Be Duke of Lancaster ; let him be king.
Westmoreland. He is both king and Duke of Lan-
caster ;
And that the Lord of Westmoreland shall maintain.
Warwick. And Warwick shall disprove it. You for-
get
That we are those which chas'd you from the field, 90
And slew your fathers, and with colours spread
March'd through the city to the palace gates.
30 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Northumberland. Yes, Warwick, I remember it to
my grief;
And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it.
Westmoreland. Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy
sons,
Thy kinsmen, and thy friends, I '11 have more lives
Than drops of blood were in my father's veins.
Clifford. Urge it no more ; lest that instead of words
I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger
As shall revenge his death before I stir. ioo
Warwick. Poor Clifford ! how I scorn his worthless
threats !
York. Will you, we shew our title to the crown ?
If not, our swords shall plead it in the field.
King Henry. What title hast thou, traitor, to the
crown ?
Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York ;
Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March.
I am the son of Henry the Fifth,
Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop,
And seiz'd upon their towns and provinces.
Warwick. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it
all. no
King Henry. The lord protector lost it, and not I ;
When I was crown'd I was but nine months old.
Richard. You are old enough-now^-and yet, methinks,
you lose. —
Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head.
Edward. Sweet father, do so •, set it on your head.
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 31
Montague. Good brother, as thou lov'st and honour'st
arms,
Let 's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus.
Richard. Sound drums and trumpets, and the king
will fly.
York. Sons, peace !
King Henry. Peace thou, and give King Henry leave
to speak. 120
Warwick. Plantagenet shall speak first; hear him,
lords,
And be you silent and attentive too,
For he that interrupts him shall not live.
King Henry. Think'st thou that I will leave my
kingly throne,
Wherein my grandsire and my father sat ?
No ! first shall war unpeople this my realm ;
Ay, and their colours — often borne in France,
And now in England, to our heart's great sorrow —
Shall be my winding sheet. — Why faint you, lords ?
My title 's good, and better far than his. 130
Warwick. Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.
King Henry. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the
crown.
York. T was by rebellion against his king.
King Henry. [Aside] I know not what to say ; my
title 's weak. —
Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir ?
York. What then?
King Henry. And if he may, then am I \a.^i\& V\x^\
32 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
For Richard, in the view of many lords,
Resign 'd the crown to Henry the Fourth,
Whose heir my father was, and I am his. 140
York. He rose against him, being his sovereign,
And made him to resign his crown perforce.
Warwick. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,
Think you 't were prejudicial to his crown ?
Exeter. No ; for he could not so resign his crown
But that the next heir should succeed and reign.
King Henry. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter ?
Exeter. His is the right, and therefore pardon
me.
York. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not ?
Exeter. My conscience tells me he is lawful king.
King Henry. [Aside] All will revolt from me and
turn to him. 151
Northumberland. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou
lay'st,
Think not that Henry shall be so depos'd.
Warwick. Depos'd he shall be, in despite of all.
Northumberland. Thou art deceiv'd ; 't is not thy
southern power,
Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,
Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can set the duke up in despite of me.
Clifford. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence. r6o
May that ground gape and swallow me alive,
Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father !
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 33
King Henry, O Clifford, how thy words revive my
heart !
York. Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown. —
What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords ?
Warwick. Do right unto this princely Duke of York,
Or I will fill the house with armed men,
And over the chair of state where now he sits
Write up his title with usurping blood.
[He stampSy and the soldiers show themselves.
King Henry. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one
word : 170
Let me for this my lifetime reign as king.
York. Confirm the crown to me, and to mine heirs,
And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'st.
King Henry. I am content ; Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.
Clifford. What wrong is this unto the prince your
son !
Warwick. What good is this to England and himself !
Westmoreland. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry !
Clifford. How hast thou injur'd both thyself and
us !
Westmoreland. I cannot stay to hear these articles.
Northumberland. Nor I. 181
Clifford. Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these
news.
Westmoreland. Farewell, faint-hearted and degener-
ate king,
In whose cold blood no spark of honoui b\Ae&.
J HENRY VI — 3
34 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Northumberland. Be thou a prey unto the house of
York,
And die in bands for this unmanly deed !
Clifford. In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome,
Or live in peace abandon 'd and despis'd !
[Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, and
Westmoreland.
Warwick. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not.
Exeter. They seek revenge, and therefore will not
yield. 190
King Henry. Ah, Exeter !
Warwick. Why should you sigh, my lord ?
King Henry. Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my
son,
Whom I unnaturally sjiall disinherit. —
But be it as it may, I here entail
The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever ;
Conditionally, that here thou take an oath
To cease this civil war, and whilst I live
To honour me as thy king and sovereign,
And neither by treason nor hostility
To seek to put me down and reign thyself. 200
York. This oath I willingly take and will perform.
[Coming from the throne.
Warwick. Long live King Henry ! — Plantagenet,
embrace him.
King Henry. And long live thou, and these thy for-
ward sons !
York. Now York and Lancaster are reconciPd.
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 35
Exeter. Accurs'd be he that seeks to make them
foes I [Sennet The Lords come forward.
York. Farewell, my gracious lord ; I '11 to my castle.
Warwick. And I '11 keep London with my soldiers.
Norfolk. And I to Norfolk with my followers.
Montague. And I unto the sea from whence I came.
[Exeunt York and his Sons, Warwick, Norfolk,
Montague, Soldiers, and Attendants.
King Henry. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the y
court. 210
Enter Queen Margaret and the Prince of Wales
Exeter. Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray
her anger.
I '11 steal away.
King Henry. Exeter, so will I. [Going.
Queen Margaret. Nay, go not from me ; I will follow
thee.
King Henry. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will
stay.
Queen Margaret. Who can be patient in such ex-
tremes ?
Ah, wretched man 1 would I had died a maid,
And never seen thee, never borne thee son,
Seeing thou hast prov'd $0 unnatural a father !
Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus ?
Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as I, 220
Or felt that pain which I did for him once,
Or nourish 'd him as I did with my blood,
36 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood there
Rather than have made that savage duke thine heir
And disinherited thine only son.
Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me.
If you be king, why should not I succeed ?
King Henry. Pardon me, Margaret ; — pardon me,
sweet son;
The Earl of Warwick and the duke enforc'd me.
Queen Margaret Enforc'd thee 1 art thou king, and
wilt be forc'd ? 230
I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch 1
Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me,
And given unto the house of York such head
As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance.
To entail him and his heirs unto the crown,
/""What is it but to make thy sepulchre
/ And creep into it far before thy time ?
Warwick is chancellor and the lord of Calais ;
Stern Faulconbridge commands the narrow seas ;
The duke is made protector of the realm ; 240
And yet shalt thou be safe ? such safety finds
The trembling lamb environed with wolves.
Had I been there, which am a silly woman,
The soldiers should have toss'd me on their pikes
Before I would have granted to that act.
But thou preferr'st thy lhVbefere-thy honour ;
And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself,
Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
Until that act of parJiament be repeaPd
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 37
Whereby my son is disinherited. 250
The northern lords that have forsworn thy colours
Will follow mine if once they see them spread ;
And spread they shall be to thy foul disgrace
And utter ruin of the house of York.
Thus do I leave thee. — Come, son, let 's away :
Our army is ready ; come, we '11 after them.
King Henry. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me
speak.
Queen Margaret Thou hast spoke too much already ;
get thee gone.
King Henry. Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with
me?
Queen Margaret. Ay, to be murther'd by his
enemies. 260
Prince. When I return with victory from the field
I '11 see your grace ; till then I '11 follow her.
Queen Margaret. Come, son, away ! we may not linger
thus. [Exeunt Queen Margaret and the Prince.
King Henry. Poor queen ! how love to me and to
her son
Hath made her break out into terms of rage !
Reveng'd may she be on that hateful duke
Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire,
Will coast my crown, and like an empty eagle
Tire on the flesh of me and of my son.
The loss of those three lords torments my heart ; 270
I '11 write unto them and entreat them fair. —
Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.
38 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Exeter. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.
[Exeunt
Scene II. Sandal Castle
Enter Edward, Richard, and Montague
Richard. Brother, though I be youngest, give me
leave.
Edward. No ; I can better play the orator.
Montague. But I have reasons strong and forcible.
Enter York
York. Why, how now, sons and brother ! at a strife ?
What is your quarrel ? how began it first ?
Edward. No quarrel, but a slight contention.
York. About what ?
Richard. About that which concerns your grace and
us, —
The crown of England, father, which is yours.
York. Mine, boy ? not till King Henry be dead. 10
Richard. Your right depends not on his life or death.
Edward. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now ;
By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe,
It will outrun you, father, in the end.
York. I took an oath that he should quietly reign.
Edward. But for a kingdom any oath may be broken ;
I would break a thousand oaths to reign one year.
Richard. No ; God forbid your grace should be for-
sworn.
I4?r&. I shall be, if I claim by open war.
Scene n] Third Part of King Henry VI 39
Richard. 1 '11 prove the contrary if you '11 hear me
speak. 20
York. Thou canst not, son ; it is impossible.
Richard. An oath is of no moment, being not took
Before a true and lawful magistrate
That hath authority over him that swears.
Henry had none, but did usurp the place ;
Then, seeing 't was he that made you to depose,
Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous.
Therefore, to arms ! And, father, do but think
How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown,
Within whose circuit is Elysium 30
And all that poets feign of bliss and joy.
Why do we linger thus ? I cannot rest
Until the white rose that I wear be dyed
Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart.
York: Richard, enough ; I will be king, or die. —
Brother, thou shalt to London presently,
And whet on Warwick to this enterprise. —
Thou, Richard, shalt to the Duke of Norfolk,
And tell him privily of our intent. —
You, Edward, shall unto my Lord Cobham, 40
With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise.
In them I trust ; for they are soldiers,
Witty, courteous, liberal, full of spirit. —
While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more
But that I seek occasion how to rise,
And yet the king not privy to my drift,
Nor any of the house of Lancaster 1
40 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Enter a Messenger
But stay. — What news? Why com'st thou in such
post?
Messenger. The queen, with all the northern earls
and lords,
Intend here to besiege you in your castle. 50
She is hard by with twenty thousand men,
And therefore fortify your hold, my lord.
York. Ay, with my sword. What ! think'st thou that
we fear them ? —
Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me ;
My brother Montague shall post to London.
Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest,
Whom we have left protectors of the king,
With powerful policy strengthen themselves,
And trust not simple Henry nor his oaths.
Montague. Brother, I go ; I '11 win them, fear it
not : 60
And thus most humbly I do take my leave. [Exit.
Enter Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer
York. Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine
uncles,
You are come to Sandal in a happy hour ;
The army of the queen mean to besiege us.
Sir John. She shall not need ; we '11 meet her in the
field.
l&r£. What, with five thousand metv*
Scene ill] Third Part of King Henry VI 41
Richard. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need.
A woman-general ! what should we fear ?
[A march afar off.
Edward. I hear their drums ; let 's set our men in
order,
And issue forth and bid them battle straight. 70
York. Five men to twenty! — though the odds be
great,
I doubt not, uncle, of our victory.
Many a battle have I won in France
Whenas the enemy hath been ten to one ;
Why should I not now have the like success ?
[Alarum. Exeunt.
Scene III. Plains near Sandal Castle
Alarums. Enter Rutland and his Tutor
Rutland. Ah ! whither shall I fly to scape their hands ?
Ah, tutor ! look, where bloody Clifford comes.
Enter Clifford and Soldiers
Clifford. Chaplain, away! thy priesthood saves thy
life.
As for the brat of this accursed duke
Whose father slew my father, he shall die.
Tutor. And I, my lord, will bear him company.
Clifford. Soldiers, away with him !
Tutor. Ah, Clifford, murther not this innocent child,
Lest thou be hated both of God and man !
[Exit, forced ojf by Soldiers,
42 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Clifford. How now! is he dead already? Or is it
fear 10
That makes him close his eyes ? — I '11 open them.
Rutland. So looks the pent-up lion o'er the wretch
That trembles under his devouring paws ;
And so he walks, insulting o'er his prey,
And so he comes to rend his limbs asunder. —
Ah, gentle Clifford, kill me with thy sword,
And not with such a cruel threatening look.
Sweet Clifford, hear me speak before I die :
I am too mean a subject for thy wrath ;
Be thou reveng'd on men, and let me live. 20
Clifford. In vain thou speak'st, poor boy ; my father's
blood
Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should enter.
Rutland. Then let my father's blood open it again ;
He is a man, and, Clifford, cope with him.
Clifford. Had I thy brethren here, their lives and thine
Were not revenge sufficient for me.
No ; if I digg'd up thy forefathers' graves
And hung their rotten coffins up in chains,
It could not slake mine ire nor ease my heart.
The sight of any of the house of York 30
Is as a fury to torment my soul ;
And till I root out their accursed line
And leave not one alive, I live in hell.
Therefore —
Rutland. O, let me pray before I take my death ! —
To thee I pray ; sweet Clifford, pity meV
Scene IV] Third Part of King Henry VI 43
Clifford. Such pity as my rapier's point affords.
Rutland. I never did thee harm ; why wilt thou slay
me?
Clifford. Thy father hath.
Rutland. But 't was ere I was born.
Thou hast one son ; for his sake pity me, 40
Lest in revenge thereof, sith God is just,
He be as miserably slain as I.
Ah, let me live in prison all my days,
And when I give occasion of offence,
Then let me die, for now thou hast no cause.
Clifford. No cause ?
Thy father slew my father ; therefore, die.
[ Clifford stabs him.
Rutla?id. Dii faciant laudis summa sit ista tuae !
[Dies.
Clifford. Plantagenet ! I come, Plantagenet !
And this thy son's blood cleaving to my blade 50
Shall rust upon my weapon till thy blood
CongeaPd with this do make me wipe off both. [Exit.
Scene IV. The Same
Alarum. Enter York
York. The army of the queen hath got the field.
My uncles both are slain in rescuing me ;
And all my followers to the eager foe
Turn back and fly like ships before the wind,
Or lambs pursued by hunger-starved wdtaes.
44 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
My sons — God knows what hath bechanced them ;
But this I know, — they have demean 'd themselves
Like men born to renown by life or death.
Three times did Richard make a lane to me,
And thrice cried ' Courage, father ! fight it out I ' 10
And full as oft came Edward to my side,
With purple falchion painted to the hilt
In blood of those that had encounter'd him ;
And when the hardiest warriors did retire
Richard cried ' Charge ! and give no foot of ground 1 '
And cried ' A crown, or else a glorious tomb !
A sceptre, or an earthly sepulchre ! '
With this, we charg'd again ; but, out, alas !
We budg'd again, as I have seen a swan
With bootless labour swim against the tide 20
And spend her strength with overmatching waves.
[A short alarum within.
Ah, hark ! the fatal followers do pursue,
And I am faint and cannot fly their fury ;
And were I strong, I would not shun their fury.
The sands are number'd that make up my life ;
Here must I stay, and here my life must end. —
Enter Queen Margaret, Clifford, Northumber-
land, and Soldiers
Come, bloody Clifford, rough Northumberland,
I dare your quenchless fury to more rage.
J am jour butt, and I abide your shot.
Scene IV] Third Part of King Henry VI 45
Northumberland, Yield to our mercy, proud Planta-
genet. 30
Clifford. Ay, to such mercy as his ruthless arm
With downright payment show'd unto my father.
Now Phaethon hath tumbled from his car,
And made an evening at the noontide prick.
York. My ashes, as the phoenix, may bring forth
A bird that will revenge upon you all ;
And in that hope I throw mine eyes to heaven,
Scorning whate'er you can afflict me with.
Why come you not ? — what ! multitudes, and fear ?
Clifford. So cowards fight when they can fly no
further ; 40
So doves do peck the falcon's piercing talons ;
So desperate thieves, all hopeless o£-their lives,
Breathe out invectives 'gainst the officers.
York. O, Clifford, but bethink thee once again,
And in thy thought o'errun my former time ;
And, if thou canst for blushing, view this face,
And bite thy tongue, that slanders him with cowardice
Whose frown hath made thee faint and fly ere this.
Clifford. I will not bandy with thee word for word,
But buckle with thee blows, twice two for one. 50
Queen Margaret. Hold, valiant Clifford ! for a thou-
sand causes
I would prolong awhile the traitor's life. —
Wrath makes him deaf ; speak thou, Northumberland.
Northumberland. Hold, Clifford ! do not honour him
po much
46 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
To prick thy finger, though to wound his heart.
What valour were it, when a cur doth grin,
For one to thrust his hand between his teeth,
When he might spurn him with his foot away ?
It is war's prize to take all vantages,
And ten to one is no impeach of valour. 60
[They lay hands on York, who struggles.
Clifford. Ay, ay; so strives the woodcock with the gin.
Northumberland. So doth the coney struggle in the
net. [ York is taken prisoner.
York. So triumph thieves upon their conquer'd
booty;
So true men yield, with robbers so o'ermatch'd.
Northumberland. What would your grace have done
unto him now ?
Queen Margaret. Brave warriors, Clifford and North-
umberland,
Come, make him stand upon this molehill here,
I \That raught at mountains with outstretched arms,
J VYet parted but the shadow with his hand. —
What ! was it you that would be England's king ? 70
Was *t you that revelPd in our Parliament,
And made a preachment of your high descent ?
Where are your mess of sons to back you now ?
The wanton Edward and the lusty George ?
And where 's that valiant crook-back prodigy,
Dicky your boy, that with his grumbling voice
Was wont to cheer his dad in mutinies ?
Or, with the rest, where is your darling Rutland ?
Scene IV] Third Part of King Henry VI 47
Look, York ; I stain 'd this napkin with the blood
That valiant Clifford with his rapier's point 80
Made issue from the bosom of the boy,
And, if thine eyes can water for his death,
I give thee this to dry thy cheeks withal.
Alas, poor York 1 but that I hate thee deadly
I should lament thy miserable state.
I prithee, grieve to make me merry, York ; I . ,
Stamp, rave, and fret, that I may sing and dance. ( ^
What, hath thy fiery heart so parch'd thine entrails
That not a tear can fall for Rutland's death ?
Why art thou patient, man ? thou shouldst be mad ; 90
And I, to make thee mad, do mock thee thus.
Thou wouldst be feed, I see, to make me sport ;
York cannot speak unless he wear a crown. —
A crown for York ! — and, lords, bow low to him. —
Hold you his hands whilst I do set it on. —
[Putting a paper crown on his head.
Ay, marry, sir, now looks he like a king.
Ay, this is he that took King Henry's chair ;
And this is he was his adopted heir. —
But how is it that great Plantagenet
Is crown 'd so soon and broke his solemn oath? 100
As I bethink me, you should not be king
Till our King Henry had shook hands with Death.
And will you pale your head in Henry's glory,
And rob his temples of the diadem,
Now in his life, against your holy oath ?
O, 't is a fault too, too unpardonable, —
48 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
Off with the crown, and with the crown his head !
And whilst we breathe take time to do him dead.
Clifford. That is my office, for my father's sake.
Queen Margaret. Nay, stay ; let 's hear the orisons
he makes. no
York. She-wolf of France, but worse than wolves of
France,
Whose tongue more poisons than the adder's tooth,
How ill-beseeming is it in thy sex
To triumph, like an Amazonian trull,
Upon their woes whom fortune captivates !
But that thy face is, vizard-like, unchanging,
Made impudent with use of evil deeds,
I would assay, proud queen, to make thee blush.
To tell thee whence thou cam'st, of whom deriv'd,
Were shame enough to shame thee, wert thou not
shameless. 120
Thy father bears the type of King of Naples,
Of both the Sicils and Jerusalem,
Yet not so wealthy as an English yeoman.
Hath that poor monarch taught thee to insult ?
It needs not, nor it boots thee not, proud queen ;
Unless the adage must be verified,
That beggars mounted run their horse to death.
'T is beauty that doth oft make women proud ;
But, God he knows, thy share thereof is small.
'T is virtue that doth make them most admir'd; 130
The contrary -de^hmake thee wonder 'd at.
'T is government that Wakes them seem divine ;
Scene IV] Third Part of King Henry VI 49
The want thereof makes thee abominable.
Thou art as opposite to every good
As the Antipodes are unto us, f
Or as the south to the Septentrion. ( H \^ ; *
O tiger's heart wra pp'd _in_ a., woman's hide I /v |"tf- V~
How couldst thou drain the life-blood of the child, *
To bid the father wipe his eyes withal,
And yet be seen to bear a woman's face ? . » 1 140
Wojn^njire soft, mild, pitiful, and flexible ; EJU^M
Thou stern, obdurate, flinty, rough, remorseless.
Bidd'st thou me rage ? why, now thou hast thy wish :
Wouldst have me weep ? why, now thou hast thy will ;
For raging wind blows up incessant showers,
And when the rage allays the rain begins.
These tears are my sweet Rutland's obsequies,
And every drop cries vengeance for his death,
'Gainst thee, fell Clifford, and thee, false Frenchwoman.
Northumberland, Beshrew me, but his passion moves
me so 150
That hardly can I check my eyes from tears.
York. That face of his the hungry cannibals
Would not have touch'd, would not have stain 'd with
blood ;
But you are more inhuman, more inexorable,
O, ten times more, than tigers of Hyrcania.
See, ruthless queen, a hapless father's tears ;
This cloth thou dipp'dst in blood of my sweet boy,
And I with tears do wash the blood away.
Keep thou the napkin and go boast oi \ta\s> \
3 HENRY vi — 4
50 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act I
/ And if thou telPst the heavy story right, 160
\ Upon my soul, the hearers will shed tears,
Yea, even my foes will shed fast-falling tears
And say ' Alas 1 it was a piteous deed/ —
There, take the crown, and with the crown my curse ;
And in thy need such comfort come to thee
As now I reap at thy too cruel hand 1 —
Hard-hearted Clifford, take me from the world ;
My soul to heaven, my blood upon your heads !
Northumberland. Had he been slaughter-man to all
my kin,
I should not, for my life, but weep with him, 170
To see how inly sorrow gripes his soul.
Queen Margaret. What! weeping-ripe, my Lord
Northumberland ?
Think but upon the wrong he did us all,
And that will quickly dry thy melting tears.
Clifford. Here's for my oath, here's for my father's
death. [Stabbing him.
Queen Margaret. And here's to right our gentle-
hearted king. {Stabbing him.
York. Open thy gate of mercy, gracious God !
My soul flies through these wounds to seek out thee.
[Dies.
Queen Margaret. Off with his head, and set it on
York gates ;
So York may overlook the town of York. 180
[Flourish, Exeunt.
Costumes of the Period
ACT II
Scene I. A Plain near Mortimer's Cross in Hereford-
shire
A March. Enter Edward and Richard, with their
Power
Edward. I wonder how our princely father scap'd,
Or whether he be scap'd away or no
From Clifford's and Northumberland's pursuit.
Had he been ta'en, we should have heard the news ;
Had he been slain, we should have heard the news ;
Or had he scap'd, methinks we should have heard
The happy tidings of his good escape. —
How fares my brother ? why is he so sad^
5*
52 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
Richard. I cannot joy, until I be resolv'd
Where our right valiant father is become. 10
I saw him in the battle range about,
And watch'd him how he singled Clifford forth.
Methought he bore him in the thickest troop
As doth a lion in a herd of neat ;
Or as a bear, encompass 'd round with dogs,
Who having pinch'd a few and made them cry,
The rest stand all aloof and bark at him.
So far'd our father with his enemies ;
So fled his enemies my warlike father :
Methinks \ is pride enough to be his son. — 20
See how the morning opes her golden gates
And takes her farewell of the glorious sun !
How well resembles it the prime of youth,
Trimm'd like a younker prancing to his love !
Edward. Dazzle mine eyes, or do I see three suns ?
Richard. Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun,
Not separated with the racking clouds,
But sever 'd in a pale clear-shining sky.
See, see ! they join, embrace, and seem to kiss,
As if they vow'd some league inviolable ; 30
Now are they but one lamp, one light, one sun.
In this the heaven figures some event.
Edward. 'T is wondrous strange, the like yet never
heard of.
I think it cites us, brother, to the field,
That we, the sons of brave Plantagenet,
Each one already blazing by out meeds,
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 53
Should, notwithstanding, join our lights together,
And overshine the earth, as this the world.
Whate'er it bodes, henceforward will I bear
Upon my target three fair shining suns. 40
Richard. Nay, bear three daughters ; by your leave
I speak it,
You love the breeder better than the male. —
Enter a Messenger
But what art thou, whose heavy looks foretell
Some dreadful story hanging on thy tongue ?
Messenger. Ah, one that was a woeful looker-on
Whenas the noble Duke of York was slain,
Your princely father and my loving lord.
Edward. O, speak no more, for I have heard too
much !
Richard. Say how he died, for I will hear it all.
Messenger. Environed he was with many foes, 50
And stood against them as the hope of Troy
Against the Greeks that would have enter'd Troy.
But Hercules himself must yield to odds ;
And many strokes, though with a little axe,
Hew down and fell the hardest-timber'd oak.
By many hands your father was subdued,
But only slaughter'd by the ireful arm
Of unrelenting Clifford and the queen,
Who crown'd the gracious duke in high despite,
Laugh'd in his face, and when with grief he wept 60
The ruthless queen gave him, to dry Yivs cYve^Vs,
54 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
A napkin steeped in the harmless blood
Of sweet young Rutland, by rough Clifford slain.
And, after many scorns, many foul taunts,
They took his head, and on the gates of York
They set the same ; and there it doth remain,
The saddest spectacle that e'er I view'd.
Edward. Sweet Duke of York ! our prop to lean upon,
Now thou art gone, we have no staff, no stay.
O Clifford ! boisterous Clifford ! thou hast slain 70
The flower of Europe for his chivalry ;
And treacherously hast thou vanquished him,
For hand to hand he would have vanquished thee.
Now my soul's palace is become a prison.
Ah, would she break from hence , that this my body
Might in the ground be closed up in rest !
For never henceforth shall I joy again,
Never, O, never, shall I see more joy !
Richard. I cannot weep, for all my body's moisture
Scarce serves to quench my furnace-burning heart ; 80
Nor can my tongue unload my heart's great burthen,
For selfsame wind that I should speak withal
Is kindling coals that fires all my breast
And burns me up with flames that tears would quench.
To weep is to make less the depth of grief ;
Tears, then, for babes, blows and revenge for me ! —
Richard, I bear thy name ; I '11 venge thy death,
Or die renowned by attempting it.
Edward. His name that valiant duke hath left with
thee;
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 55
His dukedom and his chair with me is left. 90
Richard. Nay, if thou be that princely eagle's bird,
Show thy descent by gazing 'gainst the sun ;
For chair and dukedom, throne and kingdom say,
Either that is thine, or else thou wert not his.
March. Enter Warwick and Montague, with their
Army
Warwick. How now, fair lords! What fare? what
news abroad ?
Richard. Great Lord of Warwick, if we should re-
count
Our baleful news, and at each word's deliverance
Stab poniards in our flesh till all were told,
The words would add more anguish than the wounds.
0, valiant lord, the Duke of York is slain ! 100
Edward. O, Warwick ! Warwick ! that Plantagenet
Which held thee dearly as his soul's redemption
Is by the stern Lord Clifford done to death.
Warwick. Ten days ago I drown 'd these news in
tears,
And now, to add more measure to your woes,
I come to tell you things sith then befallen.
After the bloody fray at Wakefield fought,
Where your brave father breath 'd his latest gasp,
Tidings, as swiftly as the posts could run,
Were brought me of your loss and his depart. no
1, then in London, keeper of the king,
Muster'd my soldiers, gather 'd flocks oi iwtids,
56 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
And very well appointed, as I thought,
March 'd towards Saint Alban's to intercept the queen,
Bearing the king in my behalf along ;
For by my scouts I was advertised
That she was coming with a full intent
To dash our late decree in parliament
Touching King Henry's oath and your succession.
Short tale to make, we at Saint Alban's met, 120
Our battles join'd, and both sides fiercely fought ;
But, whether 't was the coldness of the king,
Who look'd full gently on his warlike queen,
That robb'd my soldiers of their heated spleen,
Or whether 't was report of her success,
Or more than common fear of Clifford's rigour,
Who thunders to his captives blood and death,
I cannot judge ; but, to conclude with truth,
Their weapons like to lightning came and went,
Our soldiers' — like the night-owl's lasy flight, 130
Or like an idle thrasher with a flail —
Fell gently down, as if they struck their friends.
I cheer 'd them up with justice of our cause,
With promise of high pay and great rewards,
But all in vain ; they had no heart to fight,
And we in them no hope to win the day ;
So that we fled : the king unto the queen ;
Lord George your brother, Norfolk, and myself,
In haste, post-haste, are come to join with you ;
For in the marches here, we heard, you were 140
Making another head to fight again.
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 57
Edward. Where is the Duke of Norfolk, gentle
Warwick ?
And when came George from Burgundy to England ?
Warwick, Some six miles off the duke is with the
soldiers ;
And for your brother, he was lately sent
From your kind aunt, Duchess of Burgundy,
With aid of soldiers to this needful war.
Richard. T was odds, belike, when valiant Warwick
fled;
Oft have I heard his praises in pursuit,
But ne'er till now his scandal of retire. 150
Warwick. Nor now my scandal, Richard, dost thou
hear;
For thou shalt know, this strong right hand of mine
Can pluck the diadem from faint Henry's head,
And wring the awful sceptre from his fist,
Were he as famous and as bold in war
As he is fam'd for mildness, peace, and prayer.
Richard. I know it well, Lord Warwick, blame me
not;
'T is love I bear thy glories makes me speak.
But in this troublous time what 's to be done ?
Shall we go throw away our coats of steel, 160
And wrap our bodies in black mourning-gowns,
Numbering our Ave-Maries with our beads ?
Or shall we on the helmets of our foes
Tell our devotion with revengeful arms ?
If for the last, say ay, and to it, lords.
58 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
Warwick. Why, therefore Warwick came to seek you
out,
And therefore comes my brother Montague.
Attend me, lords. The proud insulting queen,
With Clifford and the haught Northumberland,
And of their feather many moe proud birds, 170
Have wrought the easy-melting king like wax.
He swore consent to your succession,
His oath enrolled in the parliament ;
And now to London all the crew are gone,
To frustrate both his oath and what beside
May make against the house of Lancaster.
Their power, I think, is thirty thousand strong ;
Now, if the help of Norfolk and myself,
With all the friends that thou, brave Earl of March,
Amongst the loving Welshmen canst procure, 180
Will but amount to five and twenty thousand,
Why, Via ! to London will we march amain,
And once again bestride our foaming steeds,
And once again cry * Charge upon our foes I '
But never once again turn back and fly.
Richard. Ay, now, methinks, I hear great Warwick
speak.
Ne'er may he. live to see a sunshine day
That cries * Retire,' if Warwick bid him stay.
Edward. Lord Warwick, on thy shoulder will I
lean;
And when thou faiPst — as God forbid the hour 1 — 190
Must Edward fall, which peril heaven fcrcefowU
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 59
Warwick. No longer Earl of March, but Duke of
York.
The next degree is England's royal throne ;
For King of England shalt thou be proclaim'd
In every borough as we pass along,
And he that throws not up his cap for joy
Shall for the fault make forfeit of his head.
King Edward, — valiant Richard, — Montague, —
Stay we no longer dreaming of renown,
But sound the trumpets and about our task. 200
Richard. Then, Clifford, were thy heart as hard as
steel,
As thou hast shown it flinty by thy deeds,
I come to pierce it, or to give thee mine.
Edward. Then strike up, drums 1 — God and Saint
George for us !
Enter a Messenger
Warwick. How now ! what news ?
Messenger. The Duke of Norfolk sends you word by
me,
The queen is coming with a puissant host,
And craves your company for speedy counsel.
Warwick. Why then it sorts ; brave warriors, let 's
away.
[Exeunt.
7
6o Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
Scene II. Before York
Flourish. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, the
Prince of Wales, Clifford, and Northumberland,
with drums and trumpets
Queen Margaret Welcome, my lord, to this brave
town of York.
Yonder 's the head of that arch-enemy
That sought to be encompass'd with your crown ;
Doth not the object cheer your heart, my lord ?
King Henry. Ay, as the rocks cheer them that fear
their wrack ;
To see this sight, it irks my very soul. —
Withhold revenge, dear God ! 't is not my fault,
Nor wittingly have I infring'd my vow.
Clifford. My gracious liege, this too much lenity
And harmful pity must be laid aside. 10
To whom do lions cast their gentle looks ?
Not to the beast that would usurp their den.
Whose hand is that the forest bear doth lick ?
Not his that spoils her young before her face.
Who scapes the lurking serpent's mortal sting ?
Not he that sets his foot upon her back.
The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on,
And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.
Ambitious York did level at thy crown,
Thou smiling while he knit his angry brows. 20
He, but a duke, would have his son a kin^,
Scene II] Third Part of King Henry VI 61
And raise his issue like a loving sire ;
Thou, being a king, blest with a goodly son,
Didst yield consent to disinherit him,
Which argu'd thee a most unloving father.
Unreasonable creatures feed their young ;
And though man's face be fearful to their eyes,
Yet, in protection of their tender ones,
Who hath not seen them, even with those wings
Which sometime they have us'd in fearful flight, 30
Make war with him that climb'd unto their nest,
Offering their own lives in their young's defence ?
For shame, my liege 1 make them your precedent.
Were it not pity that this goodly boy
Should lose his birthright by his father's fault,
And long hereafter say unto his child,
* What my great-grandfather and grandsire got,
My careless father fondly gave away ? '
Ah, what a shame were this I Look on the boy,
And let his manly face, which promiseth 40
Successful fortune, steel thy melting heart
To hold thine own, and leave thine own with him.
King Henry, Full well hath Clifford play'd the
orator,
Inferring arguments of mighty force.
But, Clifford, tell me, didst thou never hear
That things ill got had ever bad success ?
And happy always was it for that son
Whose father for his hoarding went to hell ?
I '11 leave my son my virtuous deeds \wfci\tA*
62 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
And would my father had left me no more ; 50
For all the rest is held at such a rate
As brings a thousand-fold more care to keep
Than in possession any jot of pleasure. —
Ah, cousin York, would thy best friends did know
How it doth grieve me that thy head is here I
Queen Margaret My lord, cheer up your spirits ; our
foes are nigh,
And this soft courage makes your followers faint.
You promis'd knighthood to our forward son ;
Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently. —
Edward, kneel down. 60
King Henry. Edward Plantagenet, arise a knight ;
And learn this lesson, — draw thy sword in right.
Prince. My gracious father, by your kingly leave,
I '11 draw it as apparent to the crown,
And in that quarrel use it to the death.
Clifford. Why, that is spoken like a toward prince.
Enter a Messenger
Messenger. Royal commanders, be in readiness ;
For with a band of thirty thousand men
Comes Warwick, backing of the Duke of York,
And in the towns, as they do march along, 70
Proclaims him king, and many fly to him.
Darraign your battle, for they are at hand.
Clifford. I would your highness would depart the
field;
The queen hath best success when ^ou axe absent.
Scene II] Third Part of King Henry VI 63
Queen Margaret Ay, good my lord, and leave us to
our fortune.
King Henry. Why, that 's my fortune too ; therefore
I '11 stay.
Northumberland. Be it with resolution then to fight.
Prince. My royal father, cheer these noble lords,
And hearten those that fight in your defence.
Unsheathe your sword, good father ; cry, ' Saint
George ! ' 80
March. Enter Edward, George, Richard, Warwick,
Norfolk, Montague, and Soldiers
Edward. Now, perjur'd Henry, wilt thou kneel for
grace,
And set thy diadem upon my head,
Or bide the mortal fortune of the field ?
Queen Margaret. Go, rate thy minions, proud, insult-
ing boy !
Becomes it thee to be thus bold in terms
Before thy sovereign and thy lawful king ?
Edward. I am his king, and he should bow his knee.
I was adopted heir by his consent ;
Since when, his oath is broke, for, as I hear,
You, that are king, though he do wear the crown, 90
Have caus'd him, by new act of parliament,
To blot out me and put his own son in.
Clifford. And reason, too ;
Who should succeed the father but the son ?
Richard. Are you there, butcher ? — , 1 c&tk&\.s^'&\
64 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act 11
Clifford. Ay, crook-back; here I stand, to answer
thee,
Or any he the proudest of thy sort.
Richard. 'T was you that kill'd young Rutland, was
it not ?
Clifford. Ay, and old York, and yet not satisfied.
Richard. For God's sake, lords, give signal to the
fight. 100
Warwick. What say'st thou, Henry, wilt thou yield
the crown ?
Queen Margaret. Why, how now, long-tongued War-
wick ! dare you speak ?
When you and I met at Saint Alban's last,
Your legs did better service than your hands.
Warwick. Then 't was my turn to fly, and now 't is
thine.
Clifford. You said so much before, and yet you fled.
Warwick. T was not your valour, Clifford, drove me
thence.
Northumberland. No, nor your manhood that durst
make you stay.
Richard. Northumberland, I hold thee reverently.
Break off the parley ; for scarce I can refrain no
The execution of my big-swoln heart
Upon that Clifford, that cruel child-killer.
Clifford. I slew thy father ; calPst thou him a child ?
Richard. Ay, like a dastard and a treacherous coward,
As thou didst kill our tender brother Rutland,
But ere sunset I 'U make thee curse the deed.
Scene II] Third Part of King Henry VI 65
King Henry. Have done with words, my lords, and
hear me speak.
Queen Margaret Defy them then, or else hold close
thy lips.
King Henry. I prithee, give no limits to thy tongue ;
I am a king, and privileg'd to speak. 120
Clifford. My liege, the wound that bred this meeting
here
Cannot be cur'd by words ; therefore be still.
Richard. Then, executioner, unsheathe thy sword.
By him that made us all, I am resolv'd
That Clifford's manhood lies upon his tongue.
Edivard. Say, Henry, shall I have my right, or no ?
A thousand men have broke their fasts to-day
That ne'er shall dine unless thou yield the crown.
Warwick. If thou deny, their blood upon thy head ;
For York in justice puts his armour on. 130
Prince. If that be right which Warwick says is right,
There is no wrong, but every thing is right.
Richard. Whoever got thee, there thy mother stands ;
For, well I wot, thou hast thy mother's tongue.
Queen Margaret. But thou art neither like thy sire
nor dam,
But like a foul misshapen stigmatic,
Mark'd by the destines to be avoided,
As venom toads or lizards' dreadful stings.
Richard. Iron of Naples hid with English gilt,
Whose father bears the title of a king, — 140
As if a channel should be call'd the sea, —
J HENRY \n — 5
66 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
Sham'st thou not, knowing whence thou art extraught,
To let thy tongue detect thy base-born heart ?
Edward, A wisp of straw were worth a thousand
crowns
To make this shameless callat know herself. —
Helen of Greece was fairer far than thou,
Although thy husband may be Menelaus ;
And ne'er was Agamemnon's brother wrong'd
By that false woman as this king by thee.
His father revelPd in the heart of France, 150
And tam'd the king, and made the dauphin stoop,
And, had he match 'd according to his state,
He might have kept that glory to this day ;
But when he took a beggar to his bed,
And grac'd thy poor sire with his bridal day,
Even then that sunshine brew'd a shower for him
That wash'd his father's fortunes forth of France
And heap'd sedition on his crown at home.
For what hath broach 'd this tumult but thy pride ?
Hadst thou been meek, our title still had slept, 160
And we, in pity of the gentle king,
Had slipp'd our claim until another age.
George. But when we saw our sunshine made thy
spring,
And that thy summer bred us no increase,
We set the axe to thy usurping root ;
And though the edge hath something hit ourselves,
Yet, know thou, since we have begun to strike,
We ']] never leave till we have hewn thee down
Scene m] Third Part of King Henry VI 67
Or bath'd thy growing with our heated bloods.
Edward. And in this resolution I defy thee ; 170
Not willing any longer conference,
Since thou deniest the gentle king to speak. —
Sound trumpets ! — let our bloody colours wave,
And either victory or else a grave I
Queen Margaret Stay, Edward.
Edward. No, wrangling woman, we '11 no longer
stay;
These words will cost ten thousand lives this day.
[Exeunt
Scene III
A Field of Battle near Towton
Alarums. Excursions. Enter Warwick
Warwick. Forspent with toil, as runners with a race,
I lay me down a little while to breathe ;
For strokes receiv'd, and many blows repaid,
Have robb'd my strong-knit sinews of their strength,
And, spite of spite, needs must I rest awhile.
Enter Edward, running
Edward. Smile, gentle heaven, or strike, ungentle
death I
For this world frowns and Edward's sun is clouded.
Warwick. How now, my lord ? what hap ? what
hope of good?
68 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
Enter George
George, Our hap is loss, our hope but sad despair ;
Our ranks are broke and ruin follows us. 10
What counsel give you ? whither shall we fly ?
Edward. Bootless is flight, they follow us with wings ;
And weak we are and Cannot shun pursuit.
Enter Richard
Richard. Ah, Warwick, why hast thou withdrawn
thyself ?
Thy brothers blood the thirsty earth hath drunk,
Broach 'd with the steely point of Clifford's lance ;
And in the very pangs of death he cried,
Like to a dismal clangour heard from far,
* Warwick, revenge ! brother, revenge my death ! '
So, underneath the belly of their steeds 20
That stain'd their fetlocks in his smoking blood,
The noble gentleman gave up the ghost.
Warwick. Then let the earth be drunken with our
1 blood ;
/ I '11 kill my horse, because I will not fly.
^"^Why stand we like soft-hearted women here,
Wailing our losses whiles the foe doth rage,
jJ: t And look upon, as if the tragedy
' ; j Were play'd in jest by counterfeiting actors ?
Here on my knee I vow to God above,
I '11 never pause again, never stand still, 30
Till either death hath clos'd these eyes of mine,
Scene Hi] Third Part of King Henry VI 69
Or fortune given me measure of revenge.
Edward. Warwick, I do bend my knee with thine,
And in this vow do chain my soul to thine ! —
And, ere my knee rise from the earth's cold face,
I throw my hands, mine eyes, my heart to thee,
Thou setter-up and plucker-down of kings,
Beseeching thee, if with thy will it stands
That to my foes this body must be prey,
Yet that thy brazen gates of heaven may ope, 40
And give sweet passage to my sinful soul. —
Now, lords, take leave until we meet again,
Where'er it be, in heaven or in earth.
Richard. Brother, give me thy hand ; — and, gentle
Warwick,
Let me embrace thee in my weary arms.
I, that did never weep, now melt with woe,
That winter should cut off our spring-time so.
Warwick. Away, away ! Once more, sweet lords,
farewell.
George. Yet let us all together to our troops,
And give them leave to fly that will not stay, 50
And call them pillars that will stand to us ;
And if we thrive, promise them such rewards
As victors wear at the Olympian games.
This may plant courage in their quailing breasts,
For yet is hope of life and victory. —
Forslow no longer ; make we hence amain. [Exeunt
70 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
Scene IV
Another Part of the Field
Excursions. Enter Richard and Clifford
Richard. Now, Clifford, I have singled thee alone.
Suppose this arm is for the Duke of York,
And this for Rutland ; both bound to revenge,
Wert thou environ'd with a brazen wall.
Clifford. Now, Richard, I am with thee here alone.
This is the hand that stabb'd thy father York,
And this the hand that slew thy brother Rutland ;
And here 's the heart that triumphs in their death,
And cheers these hands that slew thy sire and brother
To execute the like upon thyself ; 10
And so have at thee.
[They fight. Warwick enters ; Clifford flies.
Richard. Nay, Warwick, single out some other
chase ;
For I myself will hunt this wolf to death. {Exeunt.
Scene V
Another Part of the Field
Alarum. Enter King Henry
King Henry. This battle fares like to the morning's
war,
When dying clouds contend with growing light,
What time the shepherd, blowing of his nails,
Scene V] Third Part of King Henry VI 71
Can neither call it perfect day nor night
Now sways it this way, like a mighty sea
§ Forc'd by the tide to combat with the wind ;
Now sways it that way, like the selfsame sea
Forc'd to retire by fury of the wind.
Sometime the flood prevails, and then the wind,
Now one the better, then another best, 10
Both tugging to be victors, breast to breast,
Yet neither conqueror nor conquered ;
So is the equal poise of this fell war. -
Here on this molehill will I sit me down. ^~\ -^(c~
To whom God will, there be the victory ! I
. For Margaret my queen, and Clifford too,
Have chid me from the battle, swearing both
They prosper best of all when I am thence.
Would I were dead ! if God's good will were so ;
For what is in this world but grief and woe ? 20
O God I methinks it were a happy life, 1 ^_^
To be no better than a homely swain ; |
To sit upon a hill, as I do now,
To carve out dials quaintly, point by point,
Thereby to see the minutes how they run,
How many make the hour full complete,
How many hours bring about the day,
How many days will finish up the year,
How many years a mortal man may live.
When this is known, then to divide the times : 30
So many hours must I tend my flock ;
So many hours must I take my rest •,
72 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
So many hours must I contemplate ;
So many hours must I sport myself ;
So many days my ewes have been with young ;
So many weeks ere the poor fools will ean ;
So many years ere I shall shear the fleece.
So minutes, hours, days, months, and years,
Pass'd over to the end they were created,
Would bring white hairs unto a quiet grave. 40
Ah, what a life were this ! how sweet ! how lovely !
Gives not the hawthorn bush a sweeter shade
To shepherds looking on their silly sheep
Than doth a rich embroider'd canopy
To kings that fear their subjects' treachery ?
O, yes, it doth ; a thousand-fold it doth !
And to conclude, the shepherd's homely curds,
His cold thin drink out of his leather bottle,
His wonted sleep under a fresh tree's shade,
All which secure and sweetly he enjoys, 50
Is far beyond a prince's delicates,
His viands sparkling in a golden cup,
His body couched in a curious bed,
When care, mistrust, and treason wait on him.
Alarum. Enter a Son that hath killed his father ', bring-
ing in the dead body
Son. Ill blows the wind that profits nobody.
This man, whom hand to hand I slew in fight,
May be possessed with some store of crowns ;
And I, that haply take them from him now,
Scene V] Third Part of King Henry VI 73
May yet ere night yield both my life and them
To some man else, as this dead man doth me. — 60
Who 's this ? — O God ! it is my father's face,
Whom in this conflict I unwares have kilPd.
O heavy times, begetting such events !
From London by the king was I press 'd forth ;
My father, being the Earl of Warwick's man,
Came on the part of York, press 'd by his master ;
And I, who at his hands receiv'd my life,
Have by my hands of life bereaved him. —
Pardon me, God, I knew not what I did ; —
And pardon, father, for I knew not thee. — 70
My tears shall wipe away these bloody marks,
And no more words till they have flow'd their fill.
King Henry. O piteous spectacle ! O bloody times !
Whiles lions war and battle for their dens,
Poor harmless lambs abide their enmity.
Weep, wretched man, I '11 aid thee tear for tear ;
And let our hearts and eyes, like civil war,
Be blind with tears, and break o'ercharg'd with grief.
Enter a Father who has killed his son, with the body in
his arms
Father. Thou that so stoutly hast resisted me,
Give me thy gold, if thou hast any gold, 80
For I have bought it with an hundred blows. —
But let me see ; — is this our foeman's face ?
Ah, no, no, no ! it is mine only son ! —
Ah, boy ! if any hie be left in thee,
74 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
Throw up thine eye ; see, see, what showers arise,
Blown with the windy tempest of my heart,
Upon thy wounds that kill mine eye and heart I —
O, pity, God, this miserable age ! —
What stratagems, how fell, how butcherly,
Erroneous, mutinous, and unnatural, 90
This deadly quarrel daily doth beget ! —
O boy, thy father gave thee life too soon,
And hath bereft thee of thy life too late I
King Henry. Woe above woe ! grief more than com-
mon grief !
O that my death would stay these ruthful deeds ! —
O, pity, pity ! gentle heaven, pity ! —
The red rose and the white are on his face,
The fatal colours of our striving houses ;
The one his purple blood right well resembles,
The other his pale cheeks, methinks, presenteth. 100
Wither one rose, and let the other flourish !
If you contend, a thousand lives must wither.
Son. How will my mother, for a father's death.
Take on with me and ne'er be satisfied !
Father. How will my wife, for slaughter of my
son,
Shed seas of tears and ne'er be satisfied !
King Henry. How will the country, for these woful
chances,
Misthink the king and not be satisfied !
Son. Was ever son so rued a father's death ?
J?a/her. Was ever father so bemoan'd his son ? no
Scene V] Third Part of King Henry VI 75
King Henry. Was ever king so griev'd for subjects'
woe?
Much is your sorrow, mine ten times so much.
Son. I '11 bear thee hence, where I may weep my fill.
[Exit with the body.
Father. These arms of mine shall be thy winding-
sheet ;
My heart, sweet boy, shall be thy sepulchre,
For from my heart thine image ne'er shall go ;
My sighing breast shall be thy funeral bell ;
And so obsequious will thy father be,
E'en for the loss of thee, having no more,
As Priam was for all his valiant sons. 120
I '11 bear thee hence ; and let them fight that will,
For I have murther'd where I should not kill.
{Exit with the body.
King Henry. Sad-hearted men, much overgone with
care,
Here sits a king more woful than you are.
Alarums. Excursions. Enter Queen Margaret,
Prince of Wales, and Exeter
Prince. Fly, father, fly ! for all your friends are fled,
And Warwick rages like a chafed bull.
Away ! for death doth hold us in pursuit.
Queen Margaret. Mount you, my lord; towards
Berwick post amain.
Edward and Richard, like a brace of greyhounds,
Having the fearful flying hare in sigTal, vg»
y6 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
With fiery eyes, sparkling for very wrath,
And bloody steel grasp 'd in their ireful hands,
Are at our backs ; and therefore hence amain.
Exeter, Away! for vengeance comes along with
them.
Nay, stay not to expostulate ; make speed,
Or else come after ; I '11 away before.
King Henry, Nay, take me with thee, good sweet
Exeter ;
Not that I fear to stay, but love to go
Whither the queen intends. Forward ! away ! {Exeunt.
Scene VI. Another Part of the Field
A loud alarum. Enter Clifford, wounded
Clifford. Here burns my candle out ; ay, here it dies,
Which whiles it lasted gave King Henry light.
O Lancaster ! I fear thy overthrow
More than my body's parting with my soul !
My love and fear glued many friends to thee ;
And, now I fall, thy tough commixtures melt,
Impairing Henry, strengthening mis-proud York.
The common people swarm like summer flies ;
And whither fly the gnats but to the sun ?
And who shines now but Henry's enemies ? 10
O Phoebus, hadst thou never given consent
That Phaethon should check thy fiery steeds,
Thy burning car never had scorch'd the earth !
And, Henry, hadst thou sway'd as kings should do,
Scene vi] Third Part of King Henry VI 77
Or as thy father and his father did,
Giving no ground unto the house of York,
They never then had sprung like summer flies ;
I, and ten thousand in this luckless realm,
Had left no mourning widows for our death,
And thou this day hadst kept thy chair in peace. 20
For what doth cherish weeds but gentle air ?
And what makes robbers bold but too much lenity ?
Bootless are plaints, and cureless are my wounds ;
No way to fly, nor strength to hold out flight.
The foe is merciless and will not pity,
For at their hands I have deserv'd no pity.
The air hath got into my deadly wounds,
And much effuse of blood doth make me faint. —
Come, York, and Richard, Warwick, and the rest ;
I stabb'd your fathers' bosoms, split my breast. 30
[He faints.
Alarum and retreat Enter Edward, George, Richard,
Montague, Warwick, and Soldiers
Edward. Now breathe we, lords ; good fortune bids
us pause,
And smooth the frowns of war with peaceful looks. —
Some troops pursue the bloody-minded queen,
That led calm Henry, though he were a king,
As doth a sail, fUFd with a fretting gust,
Command an argosy to stem the waves.
But think you, lords, that Clifford fled with them ?
Warwtsk. No, 't is impossible \ve s\vo\A& e&KK£ft.\
78 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
For, though before his face I speak the words,
Your brother Richard mark'd him for the grave, 40
And wheresoe'er he is he's surely dead.
[ Clifford groans and dies,
Edward. Whose soul is that which takes her heavy
leave ?
Richard, A deadly groan, like life and death's de-
parting.
Edward, See who it is ; and, now the battle's ended,
If friend or foe, let him be gently us'd.
Richard. Revoke that doom of mercy, for 't is
Clifford,
Who, not contented that he lopp'd the branch,
In hewing Rutland when his leaves put forth,
But set his murthering knife unto the root
From whence that tender spray did sweetly spring ; 50
I mean our princely father, Duke of York.
Warwick, From off the gates of York fetch down the
head,
Your father's head, which Clifford placed there ;
instead whereof, let this supply the room.
Measure for measure must be answered.
Edward. Bring forth that fatal screech-owl to our
house,
That nothing sung but death to us and ours ;
Now death shall stop his dismal threatening sound,
And his ill-boding tongue no more shall speak.
[Soldiers bring the body forward.
fFarw?t&, I think his understanding \s bexeft, — 60
Scene vi] Third Part of King Henry. VI 79
Speak, Clifford, dost thou know who speaks to thee ? —
Dark cloudy death o'ershades his beams of life,
And he nor sees, nor hears us, what we say.
Richard. O, would he did ! and so, perhaps, he doth ;
'T is but his policy to counterfeit,
Because he would avoid such bitter taunts
Which in the time of death he gave our father.
George. If so thou think'st, vex him with eager words.
Richard. Clifford, ask mercy, and obtain no grace.
Edward. Clifford, repent in bootless penitence. 70
Warwick. Clifford, devise excuses for thy faults.
George. While we devise fell tortures for thy faults.
Richard. Thou didst love York, and I am son to York.
Edward. Thou pitiedst Rutland, I will pity thee.
George. Where's Captain Margaret to fence you now ?
Warwick. They mock thee, Clifford ; swear as thou
wast wont.
Richard. What! not an oath? nay then, the world
goes hard
When Clifford cannot spare his friends an oath. —
I know by that he 's dead ; and, by my soul,
If this right hand would buy two hours' life, 80
That I in all despite might rail at him,
This hand should chop it off, and with the issuing
blood
Stifle the villain whose unstanched thirst
York and young Rutland could not satisfy.
Warwick. Ay, but he 's dead. Off with the traitor's
head,
80 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act n
And rear it in the place your father's stands. —
And now to London with triumphant march,
There to be crowned England's royal king ;
From whence shall Warwick cut the sea to France,
And ask the Lady Bona for thy queen. 90
So shalt thou sinew both these lands together,
And, having France thy friend, thou shalt not dread
The scatter'd foe that hopes to rise again ;
For though they cannot greatly sting to hurt,
Yet look to have them buzz to offend thine ears.
First will I see the coronation,
And then to Brittany I '11 cross the sea,
To effect this marriage, so it please my lord.
Edward. Even as thou wilt, sweet Warwick, let it be ;
For in thy shoulder do I build my seat, 100
And never will I undertake the thing
Wherein thy counsel and consent is wanting. —
Richard, I will create thee Duke of Gloster ; —
And George, of Clarence. — Warwick, as ourself ,
Shall do and undo as him pleaseth best.
Richard. Let me be Duke of Clarence, George of
Gloster,
For Gloster's dukedom is too ominous.
Warwick. Tut ! that 's a foolish observation ;
Richard, be Duke of Gloster. Now to London, 109
To see these honours in possession. [Exeunt.
Chase in the North
ACT III
Scene I. A Forest in the North of England
Enter two Keepers, with crossbows in their hands
i Keeper. Under this thick-grown brake we '11 shroud
ourselves ;
For through this laund anon the deer will come,
And in this covert will we make our stand,
Culling the principal of all the deer.
2 Keeper. I '11 stay above the hill, so both may shoot,
i Keeper. That cannot be ; the noise of thy crossbow
Will scare the herd, and so my shoot \s YosX.
3 henry vi — 6 8i
82 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act in
Here stand we both, and aim we at the best ;
And, for the time shall not seem tedious,
I '11 tell thee what befell me on a day 10
In this self place where now we mean to stand.
2 Keeper. Here comes a man ; let *s stay till he be
past.
Enter King Henry, disguised, with a prayer-book
King Henry. From Scotland am I stolen, even of
pure love,
To greet mine own land with my wishful sight.
No, Harry, Harry, 't is no land of thine ;
Thy place is fill'd, thy sceptre wrung from thee,
Thy balm wash'd off wherewith thou wast anointed.
No bending knee will call thee Caesar now,
No humble suitors press to speak for right ;
No, not a man comes for redress of thee, ao
For how can I help them, and not myself ?
i Keeper. Ay, here 's a deer whose skin 's a keeper's
fee.
This is the quondam king ; let *s seize upon him.
King Henry. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity ;
For wise men say it is the wisest course.
2 Keeper. Why linger we ? let us lay hands upon
him.
i Keeper. Forbear awhile ; we '11 hear a little more.
King Henry. My queen and son are gone to France
for aid ;
And, as I hear, the great commanding Warwick
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 83
Is thither gone, to crave the French king's sister 30
To wife for Edward. If this news be true,
Poor queen and son, your labour is but lost,
For Warwick is a subtle orator,
And Lewis a prince soon won with moving words.
By this account then Margaret may win him,
For she 's a woman to be pitied much.
Her sighs will make a battery in his breast,
Her tears will pierce into a marble heart ;
The tiger will be mild whiles she doth mourn,
And Nero will be tainted with remorse 40
To hear and see her plaints, her brinish tears.
Ay, but she *s come to beg, Warwick to give ;
She on his left side craving aid for Henry,
He on his right asking a wife for Edward.
She weeps and says her Henry is depos'd,
He smiles and says his Edward is instalFd ;
That she, poor wretch, for grief can speak no more,
Whiles Warwick tells his title, smooths the wrong,
Inferreth arguments of mighty strength,
And, in conclusion, wins the king from her, 50
With promise of his sister, and what else,
To strengthen and support King Edward's place.
O Margaret, thus 't will be I and thou, poor soul,
Art then forsaken, as thou went'st forlorn.
2 Keeper, Say, what art thou, that talk'st of kings
and queens ?
King Henry. More than I seem, and less than I was
born to;
84 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act in
A man at least, for less I could not be ;
And men may talk of kings, and why not I ?
2 Keeper. Ay, but thou talk'st as if thou wert a king.
King Henry. Why, so I am, in mind; and that's
enough. 60
2 Keeper. But, if thou be a king, where is thy
crown ?
King Henry. My crown is in my heart, not on my
head,
.Not deck'd with diamonds and Indian stones,
Nor to be seen ; my crown is calPd content,
A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.
2 Keeper. Well, if you be a king crown *d with content,
Your crown content and you must be contented
To go along with us ; for, as we think,
You are the king King Edward hath depos'd,
And we his subjects, sworn in all allegiance, 70
Will apprehend you as his enemy.
King Henry. But did you never swear, and break an
oath?
2 Keeper. No, never such an oath, nor will not now.
King Henry. Where did you dwell when I was King
of England ?
2 Keeper. Here in this country, where we now re-
main.
King Henry. I was anointed king at nine months old,
My father and my grandfather were kings,
And you were sworn true subjects unto me ;
And tell me, then, have you not broke your oaths ?
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 85
1 Keeper. No ; 80
For we were subjects but while you were king.
King Henry. Why, am I dead ? do I not breathe, a
man?
Ah, simple men I you know not what you swear.
Look, as I blow this feather from my face,
And as the air blows it to me again,
Obeying with my wind when I do blow,
And yielding to another when it blows,
Commanded always by the greater gust,
Such is the lightness of you common men.
But do not break your oaths ; for of that sin 90
My mild entreaty shall not make you guilty.
Go where you will, the king shall be commanded ;
And be you kings, command, and I '11 obey.
1 Keeper. We are true subjects to the king, — King
Edward.
King Henry. So would you be again to Henry
If he were seated as King Edward is.
1 Keeper. We charge you, in God's name and the
king's
To go with us unto the officers.
King Henry. In God's name lead ; your king's name
be obey'd ;
And what God will, that let your king perform ; 100
And what he will, I humbly yield unto. [Exeunt.
86 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act m
Scene II. The Palace
Enter King Edward, Gloster, Clarence, and Lady
Grey
King Edward, Brother of Gloster, at Saint Alban's
field
This lady's husband, Sir John Grey, was slain,
His lands then seiz'd on by the conqueror ;
Her suit is now to repossess those lands,
Which we in justice cannot well deny,
Because in quarrel of the house of York
The worthy gentleman did lose his life.
Gloster. Your highness shall do well to grant her
suit ;
It were dishonour to deny it her.
King Edward, It were no less ; but yet I '11 make a
pause.
Gloster. [Aside to Clarence] Yea ; is it so ? n
I see the lady hath a thing to grant
Before the king will grant her humble suit.
Clarence. [Aside to Gloster] He knows the game ;
how true he keeps the wind 1
Gloster. [Aside to Clarence] Silence !
King Edward. Widow, we will consider of your suit,
And come some other time to know our mind.
Lady Grey. Right gracious lord, I cannot brook
delay ;
May it please your highness to resolve me now,
And what your pleasure is shall satisfy me. 20
Scene II] Third Part of King Henry VI 87
Gloster. [Aside to Clarence] Ay, widow ? then I '11
warrant you all your lands,
An if what pleases him shall pleasure you.
Fight closer, or, good faith, you '11 catch a blow.
Clarence. [Aside to Gloster] I fear her not, unless she
chance to fall.
Gloster. [Aside to Clarence] God forbid that, for
he '11 take vantages.
King Edward. How many children hast thou, widow ?
tell me.
Clarence. [Aside to Gloster] I think he means to beg
a child of her.
Gloster. [Aside to Clarence] Nay, whip me then ;
he '11 rather give her two.
Lady Grey. Three, my most gracious lord.
Gloster. [Aside to Clarence] You shall have four if
you '11 be rul'd by him. 30
King Edward. 'T were pity they should lose their
father's lands.
Lady Grey. Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then.
King Edward. Lords, give us leave; I'll try this
widow's wit.
Gloster. [Aside to Clarence] Ay, good leave have
you ; for you will have leave
Till youth take leave and leave you to the crutch.
[Gloster and Clarence stand apart.
King Edward. Now tell me, madam, do you love
your children ?
Lady Grey. Ay, full as dearly as I \ovfc tk^OSu
88 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act in
King Edward. And would you not do much to do
them good ?
Lady Grey. To do them good I would sustain some
harm.
King Edward. Then get your husband's lands to do
them good. 40
Lady Grey. Therefore I came unto your majesty.
King Edward. I '11 tell you how these lands are to be
got.
Lady Grey. So shall you bind me to your highness'
service.
King Edward. What service wilt thou do me if I
give them ?
Lady Grey. What you command that rests in me to
do.
King Edward. But you will take exceptions to my
boon.
Lady Grey. No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it.
King Edward. Ay, but thou canst do what I mean
to ask.
Lady Grey. Why, then, I will do what your grace
commands.
Gloster. He plies her hard; and much rain wears
the marble. 50
Clarence. As red as fire I nay, then, her wax must
melt.
Lady Grey. Why stops my lord ? shall I not hear my
task?
jKYng JSdward. An easy task •, \ \% but to love a king.
Scene II] Third Part of King Henry VI 89
Lady Grey. That *s soon perform 'd, because I am a
subject.
King Edward. Why, then, thy husband's lands I
freely give thee.
Lady Grey. I take my leave with many thousand
thanks.
Gloster. The match is made; she seals it with a
curtsy.
King Edward. But stay thee ; 't is the fruits of love
I mean.
Lady Grey. The fruits of love I mean, my loving
liege.
King Edward. Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense.
What love, think'st thou, I sue so much to get ? 61
Lady Grey. My love till death, my humble thanks,
my prayers ;
That love which virtue begs, and virtue grants.
King Edward. No, by my troth, I did not mean
such love.
Lady Grey. Why, then, you mean not as I thought
you did.
King Edward. But now you partly may perceive my
mind.
Lady Grey. My mind will never grant what I perceive
Your highness aims at, if I aim aright.
King Edward. To tell thee plain, I aim to lie with
thee.
Lady Grey. To tell thee plain, I had rather lie in
prison. t>
90 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act hi
King Edward. Why, then thou shalt not have thy
husband's lands.
Lady Grey. Why, then mine honesty shall be my
dower,
For by that loss I will not purchase them.
King Edward. Therein thou wrong'st thy children
mightily.
Lady Grey. Herein your highness wrongs both them
and me.
But, mighty lord, this merry inclination
Accords not with the sadness of my suit ;
Please you dismiss me either with ay or no.
King Edward. Ay, if thou wilt say ay to my request.
No, if thou dost say no to my demand. 80
Lady Grey. Then no, my lord. My suit is at an
end.
Gloster. The widow likes him not, she knits her
brows.
Clarence. He is the bluntest wooer in Christendom.
King Edward. [Aside] Her looks do argue her re-
plete with modesty,
Her words do shew her wit incomparable,
All her perfections challenge sovereignty ;
One way or other she is for a king,
And she shall be my love, or else my queen. —
Say, that King Edward take thee for his queen ?
Lady Grey. 9 T is better said than done, my gracious
lord ; 90
J am a subject fit to jest withal,
Scene II] Third Part of King Henry VI 91
But far unfit to be a sovereign.
King Edward, Sweet widow, by my state I swear to
thee,
I speak no more than what my soul intends ;
And that is to enjoy thee for my love.
Lady Grey, And that is more than I will yield unto.
I know I am too mean to be your queen,
And yet too good to be your concubine.
King Edward, You cavil, widow ; I did mean my
queen.
Lady Grey, 'T will grieve-your grace my sons should
call you father. 100
King Edward, No more than when my daughters
call thee mother.
Thou art a widow, and thou hast some children ;
And, by God's mother, I, being but a bachelor,
Have other some ; why, *t is a happy thing
To be the father unto many sons.
Answer no more, for thou shalt be my queen.
Gloster, The ghostly father now hath done his shrift.
Clarence. When he was made a shriver, 't was for
shift.
King Edward. Brothers, you muse what chat we two
have had. \Gloster and Clarence come forward,
Gloster. The widow likes it not, for she looks very
sad. 1 10
King Edward. You 'd think it strange if I should
marry her.
Clarence, To whom, my lord"*.
92 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act m
King Edward. ^ Why, Clarence, to myself.
Gloster. That would be ten days' wonder, at the least.
Clarence. That 's a day longer than a wonder lasts.
Gloster. By so much is the wonder in extremes.
King Edward. Well, jest on, brothers; I can tell
you both,
Her suit is granted for her husband's lands.
Enter a Nobleman
Nobleman. My^gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken,
And brought your prisoner to your palace gate.
King Edward. See that he be co'nvey'd unto the
Tower. — 120
And go we, brothers, to the man that took him,
To question of his apprehension. —
Widow, go you along. — Lords, use her honourably.
[Exeunt King Edward, Lady Grey,
Clarence, and Nobleman.
Gloster. Ay, Edward will use women honourably.
Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and all,
That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring,
To cross me from the golden time I look for !
And yet, between my soul's desire and me —
The lustful Edward's title buried —
Is Clarence, Henry, and his son young Edward, 130
And all the unlook'd-for issue of their bodies,
To take their rooms ere I can place myself ;
A cold premeditation for my purpose !
Why, then I do but dream on sovereignty,
Scene II] Third Part of King Henry VI 93
Like one that stands upon a promontory,
And spies a far-off shore where he would tread,
Wishing his foot were equal with his eye,
And chides the sea that sunders him from thence,
Saying, he '11 lade it dry to have his way.
So do I wish the crown, being so far off, 140
And so I chide the means that keep me from it ;
And so I say I '11 cut the causes off,
Flattering me with impossibilities. —
My eye 's too quick, my heart o'erweens too much,
Unless my hand and strength could equal them.
Well, say there is no kingdom then for Richard,
What other pleasure can the world afford ?
I '11 make my heaven in a lady's lap,
And deck my body in gay ornaments,
And witch sweet ladies with my words and looks. 150
O miserable thought ! and more unlikely
Than to accomplish twenty golden crowns.
Why, love forswore me in my mother's womb ;
And, for I should not deal in her soft laws,
She did corrupt frail nature with some bribe
To shrink mine arm up like a wither'd shrub ;
To make an envious mountain on my back,
Where sits deformity to mock my body ;
To shape my legs of an unequal size ;
To disproportion me in every part, 160
Like to a chaos, or an unlick'd bear-whelp
That carries no impression like the dam. •
And am I then a man to be bfcloVd*.
94 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act in
O, monstrous fault, to harbour .such a thought !
Then) since this earth affords no joy to me
But to command, to check, to o'erbear such
As are of better person than myself,
I '11 make my heaven to dream upon the crown,
And, whiles I live, to account this world but hell
Until my mis-shap'd trunk that bears this head 170
Be round impaled with a glorious crown.
And yet I know not how to get the crown,
For many lives stand between me and home,
And I, like one lost in a thorny wood,
That rends the thorns* and is rent with the thorns,
Seeking a way, and straying from the way,
Not knowing how to find the open air,
But toiling desperately to find it out,
Torment myself to catch the English crown ;
And from that torment I will free myself, 180
Or hew my way out with a bloody axe.
Why, I can smile, and murther while I smile,
And cry ' Content ' to that which grieves my heart,
And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,
And frame my face to all occasions.
I '11 drown more sailors than the mermaid shall,
I '11 slay more gazers than the basilisk ;
I '11 play the orator as well as Nestor,
Deceive more slyly than Ulysses could,
And like a Sinon take another Troy. 190
I can add colours to the chameleon,
Phange shapes with Proteus for advantages,
{
Scene ill] Third Part of King Henry VI 95
And set the murtherous Machiavel to school.
Can J do this, and cannot get a crown ?
Tut 1 were it farther off, I '11 pluck it down. [Exit.
Scene III. France. The King's Palace
Flourish. Enter Lewis, the French King y and Lady
Bona, attended: the King takes his state. Then enter
Queen Margaret, Prince Edward, and the Earl
of Oxford ; Lewis rising as she enters
King* Lewis. Fair Queen of England, worthy Mar-
garet,
Sit down with us ; it ill befits thy state
And birth that thou shouldst stand while Lewis doth
sit.
Queen Margaret No, mighty King of France ; now
Margaret
Must strike her sail and learn awhile to serve
Where kings command. I was, I must confess,
Great Albion's queen in former golden days ;
But now mischance hath trod my title down
And with dishonour laid me on the ground,
Where I must take like seat unto my fortune 10
And to my humble seat conform myself.
King Lewis. Why, say, fair queen, whence springs
this deep despair ?
Queen Margaret. From such a course as fills mine
eyes with tears
96 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act ni
And stops my tongue, while heart is drown'd in cares.
King Lewis, Whate'er it be, be thou still like thy-
self,
And sit thee by our side ; yield not thy neck
[Seats her by him.
To fortune's yoke, but let thy dauntless mind
Still ride in triumph over all mischance.
Be plain, Queen Margaret, and tell thy grief ;
It shall be eas'd if France can yield relief. 20
Queen Margaret Those gracious words revive my
drooping thoughts,
And give my tongue-tied sorrows leave to speak.
Now, therefore, be it known to noble Lewis
That Henry, sole possessor of my love,
Is of a king become a banish'd man
And forc'd to live in Scotland a forlorn,
While proud ambitious Edward, Duke of York,
Usurps the regal title and the seat
Of England's true-ahointed lawful king.
This is the cause that I, poor Margaret, 30
With this my son, Prince Edward, Henry's heir,
Am come to crave thy just and lawful aid ;
And if thou fail us, all our hope is done.
Scotland hath will to help, but cannot help ;
Our people and our peers are both misled,
Our treasure seiz'd, our soldiers put to flight,
And, as thou seest, ourselves in heavy plight.
King Lewis. Renowned queen, with patience calm
the storm
Scene m] Third Part of King Henry VI 97
While we bethink a means to break it off.
Queen Margaret. The more we stay, the stronger
grows our foe. 40
King Lewis. The more I stay, the more I '11 succour
thee.
Queen Margaret. O, but impatience waiteth on true
sorrow ! —
And see where comes the breeder of my sorrow.
Enter Warwick, attended
King Lewis. What 's he approacheth boldly to our
presence ?
Queen Margaret. Our Earl of Warwick, Edward's
greatest friend.
King Lewis. Welcome, brave Warwick. What brings
thee to France ?
[He descends. Queen Margaret rises.
Queen Margaret. Ay, now begins a second storm to
rise,
For this is he that moves both wind and tide.
Warwick. From worthy Edward, king of Albion,
My lord and sovereign, and thy vowed friend, 50
I come, in kindness and unfeigned love,
First, to do greetings to thy royal person ;
And then, to crave a league of amity ;
And lastly, to confirm that amity
With nuptial knot, if thou vouchsafe to grant
That virtuous Lady Bona, thy fair sister,
To England's king in lawful marriage,
j henry vj — 7
98 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act in
Queen Margaret. [Aside'] If that go forward, Henry's
hope is done.
Warwick. [To Bona] And, gracious madam, in our
king's behalf,
I am commanded, with your leave and favour, 60
Humbly to kiss your hand, and with my tongue
To tell the passion of my sovereign's heart,
Where fame, late entering at his heedful ears,
Hath plac'd thy beauty's image and thy virtue.
Queen Margaret. King Lewis, — and Lady Bona, —
hear me speak
Before you answer Warwick. His demand
Springs not from Edward's well-meant honest love,
But from deceit, bred by necessity ;
For how can tyrants safely govern home
Unless abroad they purchase great alliance ? 70
To prove him tyrant this reason may suffice, —
That Henry liveth still ; but were he dead,
Yet here Prince Edward stands, King Henry's son.
Look therefore, Lewis, that by this league and marriage
Thou draw not on thy danger and dishonour ;
For though usurpers sway the rule awhile,
Yet heavens are just, and time suppresseth wrongs.
Warwick. Injurious Margaret 1
Prince. And why not queen ?
Warwick. Because thy father Henry did usurp,
And thou no more art prince than she is queen. 80
Oxford. Then Warwick disannuls great John of
Gaunt,
Scene Hi] Third Part of King Henry VI yg
Which did subdue the greatest part of Spain ;
And, after John of Gaunt, Henry the Fourth,
Whose wisdom was a mirror to the wisest ;
And, after that wise prince, Henry the Fifth,
Who by his prowess conquered all France.
From these our Henry lineally descends.
Warwick. Oxford, how haps it in this smooth dis-
course,
You told not how Henry the Sixth hath lost
All that which Henry the Fifth had gotten ? 90
Methinks these peers of France should smile at that.
But for the rest, you tell a pedigree
Of threescore and two years, — a silly time
To make prescription for a kingdom's worth.
Oxford. Why, Warwick, canst thou speak against
thy liege,
Whom thou obeyedst thirty and six years,
And not bewray thy treason with a blush ?
Warwick. Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right,
Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree ?
For shame leave Henry and call Edward king. 100
Oxford. Call him my king by whose injurious doom
My elder brother, the Lord Aubrey Vere,
Was done to death ? and more than so, my father,
Even in the downfall of his mellow'd years,
When nature brought him to the door of death ?
No, Warwick, no ; while life upholds this arm,
This arm upholds the house of Lancaster.
Warwick. And I the house oi XoxVu
ioo Third Part of King Henry VI [Act in
King Lewis. Queen Margaret, Prince Edward, and
Oxford,
Vouchsafe at our request to stand aside no
While I use further conference with Warwick.
Queen Margaret. Heavens grant that Warwick's
words bewitch him not ! [They stand aloof.
King Lewis. Now, Warwick, tell me, even upon thy
conscience,
Is Edward your true king ? for I were loath
To link with him that were not lawful chosen.
Warwick. Thereon I pawn my credit and mine
honour.
King Lewis. But is he gracious in the people's eye ?
Warwick. The more that Henry was unfortunate.
King Lewis. Then further, all dissembling set aside,
Tell me for truth the measure of his love 120
Unto our sister Bona.
Warwick. Such it seems
As may beseem a monarch like himself.
Myself have often heard him say and swear
That this his love was an eternal plant,
Whereof the root was fix'd in virtue's ground,
The leaves and fruit maintain 'd with beauty's sun,
Exempt from envy, but not from disdain,
Unless the Lady Bona quit this pain.
King Lewis. Now, sister, let us hear your firm re-
solve.
Bona. Your grant or your denial shall be mine. 130
Yet I confess [to Warwick] that often ere this day,
Scene ni} Third Part of King Henry VI 101
When I have heard your king's desert recounted,
Mine ear hath tempted judgment to desire.
King Lewis. Then, Warwick, thus : our sister shall
be Edward's ;
And now forthwith shall articles be drawn
Touching the jointure that your king must make,
Which with her dowry shall be counterpois'd. —
Draw near, Queen Margaret, and be a witness
That Bona shall be wife to the English king.
Prince. To Edward/ but not to the English king. 140
Queen Margaret. Deceitful Warwick! it was thy
device
By this alliance to make void my suit.
Before thy coming Lewis was Henry's friend.
King Lewis. And still is friend to him and Margaret ;
But if your title to the crown be weak,
As may appear by Edward's good success,
Then 't is but reason that I be releas'd
From giving aid which late I promised.
Yet shall you have all kindness at my hand
That your estate requires and mine can yield. 150
Warwick. Henry now lives in Scotland, at his ease,
Where, having nothing, nothing can he lose.
And as for you yourself, our quondam queen,
You have a father able to maintain you,
And better 't were you troubled him than France.
Queen Margaret. Peace, impudent and shameless
Warwick,
Proud setter-up and puller-down oIYlyr^sV
102 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act ni
I will not hence, till, with my talk and tears,
Both full of truth, I make King Lewis behold
Thy sly conveyance and thy lord's false love ; 160
For both of you are birds of selfsame feather.
[A horn sounded within.
King Lewis. Warwick, this is some post to us or thee.
Enter the Post
Post My lord ambassador, these letters are for you.
Sent from your brother Marquess Montague. —
These from our king unto your majesty. —
And, madam, these for you, from whom I know not.
[They all read their letters.
Oxford. I like it well that our fair queen and mis-
tress
Smiles at her news while Warwick frowns at his.
Prince. Nay, mark how Lewis stamps as he were
nettled ;
I hope all 's for the best. 170
King Lewis, Warwick, what are thy news ? — and
yours, fair queen ?
Queen Margaret. Mine, such as fill my heart with
unhop'd joys,
Warwick. Mine, full of sorrow and heart's discontent.
King Lewis. What 1 has your king married the Lady
Grey,
And now, to soothe your forgery and his,
Sends me a paper to persuade me patience ?
Is this the alliance that he seeks with France ?
Scene Hi] Third Part of King Henry VI 103
Dare he presume to scorn us in this manner ?
Queen Margaret I told your majesty as much be-
fore;
This proveth Edward's love and Warwick's honesty.
Warwick. King Lewis, I here protest, in sight of
heaven, 181
And by the hope I have of heavenly bliss,
That I am clear from this misdeed of Edward's ;
No more my king, for he dishonours me,
But most himself, if he could see his shame.
Did I forget that by the house of York
My father came untimely to his death ?
Did I let pass the abuse done to my niece ?
Did I impale him with the regal crown ?
Did I put Henry from his native right, 190
And am I guerdon 'd at the last with shame ?
Shame on himself 1 for my desert is honour ;
And to repair my honour lost for him,
I here renounce him and return to Henry. —
My noble queen, let former grudges pass,
And henceforth I am thy true servitor.
I will revenge his wrong to Lady Bona,
And replant Henry in his former state.
Queen Margaret. Warwick, these words have turn'd
my hate to love ;
And I forgive and quite forget old faults, 200
And joy that thou becom'st King Henry's friend.
Warwick. So much his friend, ay, his unfeigned
friend,
104 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act m
That, if King Lewis vouchsafe to furnish us
With some few bands of chosen soldiers,
I '11 undertake to land them on our coast
And force the tyrant from his seat by war.
'T is not his new-made bride shall succour him ;
And as for Clarence, — as my letters tell me, —
He 's very likely now to fall from him,
For matching more for wanton lust than honour, 210
Or than for strength and safety of our country.
Bona. Dear brother, how shall Bona be reveng'd
But by thy help to this distressed queen ?
Queen Margaret Renowned prince, how shall poor
Henry live
Unless thou rescue him from foul despair ?
Bona. My quarrel and this English queen's are
one.
Warwick. And mine, fair Lady Bona, joins with
yours.
King Lewis. And mine with hers, and thine, and
Margaret's.
Therefore, at last I firmly am resolv'd
You shall have aid. 220
Queen Margaret. Let me give humble thanks for all
at once.
King Lewis. Then, England's messenger, return in
post,
And tell false Edward, thy supposed king,
That Lewis of France is sending over maskers
To revel it with him and his nev* bride.
Scene HI] Third Part of King Henry VI 105
Thou seest what 's past ; go fear thy king withal.
Bona. Tell him, in hope he '11 prove a widower
shortly,
I '11 wear the willow garland for his sake.
Queen Margaret Tell him my mourning weeds are
laid aside,
And I am ready to put armour on. 230
Warwick. Tell him from me that he hath done me
wrong,
And therefore I '11 uncrown him ere 't be long.
There 's thy reward ; be gone. [Exit Post
King Lewis. But, Warwick,
Thou and Oxford, with five thousand men,
Shall cross the seas and bid false Edward battle ;
And, as occasion serves, this noble queen
And prince shall follow with a fresh supply.
Yet, ere thou go, but answer me one doubt :
What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty ?
Warwick. This shall assure my constant loyalty, —
That if our queen and this young prince agree, 241
I '11 join mine eldest daughter and my joy
To him forthwith in holy wedlock bands.
Queen Margaret Yes, I agree, and thank you for
your motion —
Son Edward, she is fair and virtuous ;
Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick,
And with thy hand thy faith irrevocable
That only Warwick's daughter shall be thine.
Prince. Yes, I accept her, for she ^e\\ AesiWN^Sk^N
106 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act in
And here, to pledge my vow, I give my hand. 250
[He gives his hand to Warwick.
King Lewis. Why stay we now? These soldiers
shall be levied,
And thou, Lord Bourbon, our high admiral,
Shalt waft them over with our royal fleet. —
I long till Edward fall by war's mischance
For mocking marriage with a dame of France.
[Exeunt all but Warwick.
Warwick. I came from Edward as ambassador,
But I return his sworn and mortal foe ;
Matter of marriage was the charge he gave me,
But dreadful war shall answer his demand.
Had he none else to make a stale but me ? a6o
Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.
I was the chief that rais'd him to the crown,
And I '11 be chief to bring him down again ;
Not that I pity Henry's misery,
But seek revenge on Edward's mockery. [Exit.
Park at Middleham Castle
ACT IV
Scene I. London. The Palace
Enter Gloster, Clarence, Somerset, and Montague
Gloster. Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think
you
Of this new marriage with the Lady Grey ?
Hath not our brother made a worthy choice ?
Clarence, Alas ! you know 't is far from hence to
France ;
How could he stay till Warwick made \«X>sr&\
107
108 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act iv
Somerset My lords, forbear this talk ; here comes the
king.
Flourish. Enter King Edward, attended; Lady Grey,
as Queen ; Pembroke, Stafford, Hastings, and
others
Gloster. And his well-chosen bride.
Clarence. I mind to tell him plainly what I think.
King Edward. Now, brother Clarence, how like you
our choice,
That you stand pensive as half malcontent ? 10
Clarence. As well as Lewis of France, or the Earl of
Warwick,
Which are so weak of courage and in judgment
That they '11 take no offence at our abuse.
King Edward. Suppose they take offence without a
cause,
They are but Lewis and Warwick ; I am Edward,
Your king and Warwick's, and must have my will.
Gloster. And shall have your will because our king ;
Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.
King Edward. Yea, brother Richard, are you of-
fended too ?
Gloster. Not I. 20
No ; God forbid that I should wish them sever'd
Whom God hath join'd together ; ay, and 't were pity
To sunder them that yoke so well together.
King Edward. Setting your scorns and your mislike
aside,
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 109
Tell me some reason why the Lady Grey
Should not become my wife and England's queen. —
And you too, Somerset and Montague,
Speak freely what you think.
Clarence. Then this is mine opinion, — that King
Lewis
Becomes your enemy, for mocking him 30
About the marriage of the Lady Bona.
Gloster. And Warwick, doing what you gave in
charge,
Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.
King Edward. What if both Lewis and Warwick be
appeas'd
By such invention as I can devise ?
Montague. Yet to have join'd with France in such
alliance
Would more have strengthen 'd this our common-
wealth
* 'Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.
Hastings. Why, knows not Montague that of itself
England is safe if true within itself ? 40
Montague. But the safer when 't is back'd with
France.
Hastings. 'T is better using France than trusting
France.
Let us be back'd with God, and with the seas
Which he hath given for fence impregnable,
And with their helps only defend ourselves ;
In them and in ourselves our safety Vtefc.
no Third Part of King Henry VI [Act iv
Clarence. For this one speech Lord Hastings well
deserves
To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford.
King Edward. Ay, what of that ? it was my will and
grant ;
And for this once my will shall stand for law. 50
Gloster. And yet, methinks, your grace hath not done
well
To give the heir and daughter of Lord Scales
Unto the brother of your loving bride.
She better would have fitted me or Clarence ;
But in your bride you bury brotherhood.
Clarence. Or else you would not have bestow 'd the
heir
Of the Lord Bonville on your new wife's son,
And leave your brothers to go speed elsewhere.
King Edward. Alas, poor Clarence ! is it for a wife
That thou art malcontent ? I will provide thee. 60
Clarence. In choosing for yourself you show'd your
judgment,
Which being shallow you shall give me leave
To play the broker in mine own behalf ;
And to that end I shortly mind to leave you.
King Edward. Leave me or tarry, Edward will be
king,
And not be tied unto his brother's will.
Queen Elizabeth. My lords, before it pleas 'd his
majesty
To raise my state to title of a queen,
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI m
Do me but right and you must all confess
That I was not ignoble of descent, 70
And meaner than myself have had like fortune.
But as this title honours me and mine,
So your dislikes, to whom I would be pleasing,
Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.
King Edward, My love, forbear to fawn upon their
frowns.
What danger or what sorrow can befall thee
So long as Edward is thy constant friend
And their true sovereign, whom they must obey ?
Nay, whom they shall obey, and love thee too,
Unless they seek for hatred at my hands ; 80
Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe,
And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.
Gloster. [Aside] I hear, yet say not much, but think
the more.
Enter a Messenger
King Edward. Now, messenger, what letters or what
news
From France ?
Messenger. My sovereign liege, no letters, and few
words,
But such as I, without your special pardon,
Dare not relate.
King Edward. Go to, we pardon thee ; therefore, in
brief,
Tell me their words as near as thou canst guess them.
What answer makes King Lewis unto our lestera* «*>
H2 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act iv
Messenger. At my depart these were his very words :
' Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king,
That Lewis of France is sending over maskers
To revel it with him and his new bride.'
King Edward. Is Lewis so brave ? belike he thinks
me Henry.
But what said Lady Bona to my marriage ?
Messenger. These were her words, utter'd with
mild disdain :
' Tell him, in hope he '11 prove a widower shortly,
I '11 wear the willow garland for his sake.' ioo
King Edward. I blame her not, she could say little
less,
She had the wrong ; but what said Henry's queen ?
For I have heard that she was there in place.
Messenger. 'Tell him/ quoth she, 'my mourning
weeds are done,
And I am ready to put armour on.'
King Edward. Belike she minds to play the Amazon.
But what said Warwick to these injuries ?
Messenger. He, more incens'd against your majesty
Than all the rest, discharg'd me with these words :
'Tell him from me- that he hath done me wrong, no
And therefore I '11 uncrown him ere 't be long.'
King Edward. Ha 1 durst the traitor breathe out so
proud words 1
Well, I will arm me, being thus forewarn 'd ;
They shall have wars, and pay for their presumption.
But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret ?
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 113
Messenger. Ay, gracious sovereign ; they are so
link'd in friendship
That young Prince Edward marries Warwick's daughter.
Clarence. Belike the elder; Clarence will have the
younger.
Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast,
For I will hence to Warwick's other daughter ; 120
That, though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage
I may not prove inferior to yourself. —
You that love me and Warwick, follow me.
[Exit Clarence, and Somerset follows.
Gloster. [Aside] Not I.
My thoughts aim at a further matter ; I
Stay not for the love of Edward, but the crown.
King Edward. Clarence and Somerset both gone to
Warwick !
Yet am I arm'd against the worst can happen,
And haste is needful in this desperate case. —
Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf 130
Go levy men and make prepare for war ;
They are already, or quickly will be landed.
Myself in person will straight follow you. —
[Exeunt Pembroke and Stafford.
But, ere I go, Hastings and Montague,
Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the rest,
Are near to Warwick by blood and by alliance ;
Tell me if you love Warwick more than me ?
If it be so, then both depart to him.
I rather wish you foes than hollow fx\eit&%\
3 HENRY vi — 8
1 14 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act iv
But, if you mind to hold your true obedience, 140
Give me assurance with some friendly vow,
That I may never have you in suspect.
Montague. So God help Montague as he proves true !
Hastings. And Hastings as he favours Edward's
cause !
King Edward. Now, brother Richard, will you stand
by us?
Gloster. Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you.
King Edward. Why, so ! then am I sure of victory.
Now, therefore, let us hence ; and lose no hour
Till we meet Warwick with his foreign power. [Exeunt.
Scene II. A Plain in Warwickshire
Enter Warwick and Oxford with French and other
Forces
Warwick. Trust me, my lord, all hitherto goes well ;
The common people by numbers swarm to us.
But see where Somerset and Clarence comes ! —
Enter Clarence and Somerset
Speak suddenly, my lords, are we all friends ?
Clarence. Fear not that, my lord.
Warwick. Then, gentle Clarence, welcome unto War-
wick ; —
And welcome, Somerset. — I hold it cowardice
To rest mistrustful where a noble heart
Hath pawned an open hand in sign of love ;
Scene ni] * Third Part of King Henry VI 115
Else might I think that Clarence, Edward's brother, 10
Were but a feigned friend to our proceedings.
But welcome, sweet Clarence ; my daughter shall be
thine.
And now what rests but in night's coverture,
Thy brother being carelessly encamp'd,
His soldiers lurking in the towns about,
And but attended by a simple guard,
We may surprise and take him at our pleasure ?
Our scouts have found the adventure very easy ;
That as Ulysses and stout Diomede
With sleight and manhood stole to Rhesus* tents, 20
And brought from thence the Thracian fatal steeds,
So we, well cover'd with the night's black mantle,
At unawares may beat down Edward's guard,
And seize himself, — I say not slaughter him,
For I intend but only to surprise him. —
You that will follow me to this attempt,
Applaud the name of Henry with your leader.
[They all cry, ' Henry ! '
Why, then, let 's on our way in silent sort ;
For Warwick and his friends, God and Saint George !
[Exeunt.
Scene III. Edward's Camp near Warwick
Enter certain Watchmen, to guard the King's tent
1 Watchman. Come on, my masters, each man take
his stand ;
n6 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act IV
The king by this is set hita down to sleep.
2 Watchman. What, will he not to bed ?
i Watchman. Why, no ; for he hath made a solemn
vow
Never to lie and take his natural rest
Till Warwick or himself be quite suppress'd.
2 Watchman. To-morrow, then, belike shall be the
day,
If Warwick be so near as men report.
3 Watchman. But say, I pray, what nobleman is that
That with the king here resteth in his tent ? io
i Watchman. T is the Lord Hastings, the king's
chiefest friend.
3 Watchman. O, is it so ? But why commands the
king
That his chief followers lodge in towns about him,
While he himself keeps in the cold field ?
2 Watchman. 'T is the more honour, because more
dangerous.
3 Watchman. Ay, but give me worship and quiet-
ness ;
I like it better than a dangerous honour.
If Warwick knew in what estate he stands,
'T is to be doubted he would waken him. 19
1 Watchman. Unless our halberds did shut up his
passage.
2 Watchman. Ay ; wherefore else guard we his royal
tent
But to defend his person from mgjbt-ioes?
Scene ni] Third Part of King Henry VI 117
Enter Warwick, Clarence, Oxford, Somerset, and
Forces silently
Warwick, This is his tent ; and see, where stand his
guard.
Courage, my masters! honour now or never !
But follow me, and Edward shall be ours.
1 Watchman. Who goes there ?
2 Watchman. Stay, or thou diest.
[ Warwick and the rest cry all, l Warwick I
Warwick ! ' and set upon the guard, who
fly, crying, i Arm 1 Arm ! ' Warwick and
the rest following them.
Drums beating and trumpets sounding; enter Warwick
and the rest, bringing the King out in his gown sitting
in a chair. Gloster and Hastings fly over the
stage
Somerset. What are they that fly there ?
Warwick. Richard and Hastings. Let them go;
here is the duke.
King Edward. The duke ! why, Warwick, when we
parted, 30
Thou calPdst me king 1
Warwick. Ay, but the case is alter'd ;
When you disgrac'd me in my embassade,
Then I degraded you from being king
And come now to create you Duke oi YoiVl,
1 1 8 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act IV
Alas I how should you govern any kingdom
That know not how to use ambassadors,
Nor how to be contented with one wife,
Nor how to use your brothers brotherly,
Nor how to study for the people's welfare,
Nor how to shroud yourself from enemies ? 40
King Edward. Yea, brother of Clarence, art thou
here too ?
Nay, then I see that Edward needs must down. —
Yet, Warwick, in despite of all mischance
Of thee thyself and all thy complices,
Edward will always bear himself as king ;
Though fortune's malice overthrow my state,
My mind exceeds the compass of her wheel.
Warwick. Then for his mind be Edward England's
king ; [Takes off his crown.
But Henry now shall wear the English crown
And be true king indeed, thou but the shadow. — 50
My Lord of Somerset, at my request,
See that forthwith Duke Edward be convey'd
Unto my brother, Archbishop of York.
When I have fought with Pembroke and his fellows,
I '11 follow you and tell what answer
Lewis and the Lady Bona send to him. —
Now, for a while farewell, good Duke of York.
King Edward. What fates impose, that men must
needs abide ;
It boots not to resist both wind and tide.
[£xit King Edward, ltd out ; Somerset with him.
Scene IV] Third Part of King Henry VI 119
Oxford. What now remains, my lords, for us to do,
But march to London with our soldiers ? 61
Warwick. Ay, that *s the first thing that we have to
do, —
To free King Henry from imprisonment
And see him seated in the regal throne. [Exeunt
Scene IV. London. The Palace
Enter Queen Elizabeth and Rivers
Rivers. Madam, what makes you in this sudden
change ?
Queen Elizabeth. Why, brother Rivers, are you yet
to learn
What late misfortune has befallen King Edward ?
Rivers. What I loss of some pitch 'd battle against
Warwick ?
Queen Elizabeth. No, but the loss of his own royal
person.
Rivers. Then is my sovereign slain ?
Queen Elizabeth. Ay, almost slain, for he is taken
prisoner,
Either betray'd by falsehood of his guard
Or by his foe surpris'd at unawares,
And, as I further have to understand, 10
Is new committed to the Bishop of York,
Fell Warwick's brother and by that our foe.
Rivers. These news, I must confess, are full of
grief;
120 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act iv
Yet, gracious madam, bear it as you may.
Warwick may lose, that now hath won the day.
Queen Elizabeth, Till then, fair hope must hinder
life's decay ;
And I the rather wean me from despair,
For love of Edward's offspring in my womb.
This is it that makes me bridle passion
And bear with mildness my misfortune's cross ; 20
Ay, ay, for this I draw in many a tear,
And stop the rising of blood-sucking sighs,
Lest with my sighs or tears I blast or drown
King Edward's fruit, true heir to the English crown.
Rivers. But, madam, where is Warwick then be-
come?
Queen Elizabeth. I am informed that he comes
towards London,
To set the crown once more on Henry's head.
Guess thou the rest: King Edward's friends must
down;
But to prevent the tyrant's violence, —
For trust not him that hath once broken faith, — 30
I '11 hence forthwith unto the sanctuary,
To save at least the heir of Edward's right.
There shall I rest secure from force and fraud.
Come therefore, let us fly while we may fly ;
If Warwick take us we are sure to die. [Exeunt.
Scene V] Third Part of King Henry VI 121
Scene V. A Park near Middleham Castle in Yorkshire
Enter Gloster, Hastings, Sir William Stanley, and
others
Gloster. Now, my Lord Hastings, and Sir William
Stanley,
Leave off to wonder why I drew you hither
Into this chiefest thicket of the park.
Thus stands the case : you know our king, my brother,
Is prisoner to the bishop here, at whose hands
He hath good usage and great liberty,
And often, but attended with weak guard,
Comes hunting this way to disport himself.
I have advertis'd him by secret means
That if about this hour he make this way, 10
Under the colour of his usual game,
He shall here find his friends, with horse and men,
To set him free from his captivity.
Enter King Edward and a Huntsman
Huntsman. This way, my lord, for this way lies the
game.
King Edward. Nay, this way, man ; see, where the
huntsmen stand. —
Now, brother of Gloster, Lord Hastings, and the rest,
Stand you thus close to steal the bishop's deer ?
Gloster. Brother, the time and case requireth haste ;
Your horse stands ready at the patk cottvsx.
122 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act iv
King Edward. But whither shall we then ? 20
Hastings. To Lynn, my lord, and ship from thence
to Flanders.
Gloster. Well guess'd, believe me, for that was my
meaning.
King Edward. Stanley, I will requite thy forward-
ness.
Gloster. But wherefore stay we ? 't is no time to talk.
King Edward. Huntsman, what say'st thou? wilt
thou go along?
Huntsman. Better do so than tarry and be hang'd.
Gloster. Come then ; away 1 let 's have no more ado.
King Edward. Bishop, farewell; shield thee from
Warwick's frown,
And pray that I may repossess the crown. [Exeunt.
Scene VI. London. The Tower
Enter King Henry, Clarence, Warwick, Somerset,
Young Richmond, Oxford, Montague, Lieutenant
of the Tower, and Attendants
King Henry. Master Lieutenant, now that God and
friends
Have shaken Edward from the regal seat
And turn'd my captive state to liberty,
My fear to hope, my sorrows unto joys,
At our enlargement what are thy due fees ?
Lieutenant. Subjects may challenge nothing of their
sovereigns ;
Scene vi] Third Part of King Henry VI 123
But if an humble prayer may prevail,
I then crave pardon of your Majesty.
King Henry. For what, lieutenant? for well using
me?
Nay, be thou sure I '11 well requite thy kindness, 10
For that it made my imprisonment a pleasure ;
Ay, such a pleasure as incaged birds
Conceive when, after many moody thoughts,
At last by notes of household harmony
They quite forget their loss of liberty. —
But, Warwick, after God thou sett'st me free,
And chiefly therefore I thank God and thee ;
He was the author, thou the instrument.
Therefore, that I may conquer fortune's spite,
By living low where fortune cannot hurt me, 20
And that the people of this blessed land
May not be punish'd with my thwarting stars,
Warwick, although my head still wear the crown,
I here resign my government to thee,
For thou art fortunate in all thy deeds.
Warwick. Your grace hath still been fam'd for vir-
tuous,
And now may seem as wise as virtuous
By spying and avoiding fortune's malice, .
For few men rightly temper with the stars ;
Yet in this one thing let me blame your grace, 30
For choosing me when Clarence is in place.
Clarence. No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway,
To whom the heavens in thy nativity
124 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act IV
Adjudg'd an olive branch and laurel crown,
As likely to be blest in peace and war ;
And therefore, I yield thee my free consent.
Warwick. And I choose Clarence only for protector.
King Henry. Warwick and Clarence, give me both
your hands.
Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts,
That no dissension hinder government. 40
I make you both protectors of this land,
While I myself will lead a private life
And in devotion spend my latter days,
To sin's rebuke and my Creator's praise.
Warwick. What answers Clarence to his sovereign's
will?
Clarence. That he consents if Warwick yield consent,
For on thy fortune I repose myself.
Warwick. Why, then, though loath, yet I must be
content.
We '11 yoke together, like a double shadow
To Henry's body, and supply his place, — 50
I mean in bearing weight of government
While he enjoys the honour and his ease.
And, Clarence, now then it is more than needful
Forthwith that Edward be pronounc'd a traitor,
And all his lands and goods be confiscate.
Clarence. What else? and that succession be de-
termin'd.
Warwick. Ay, therein Clarence shall not want his
part.
Scene vi] Third Part of King Henry VI 125
King Henry. But with the first of all your chief
affairs,
Let me entreat — for I command no more —
That Margaret your queen, and my son Edward, 60
Be sent for to return from France with speed ;
For, till I see them here, by doubtful fear
My joy of liberty is half eclips'd.
Clarence. It shall be done, my sovereign, with all
speed.
King Henry. My lord of Somerset, what youth is
that
Of whom you seem to have so tender care ?
Somerset My liege, it is young Henry, Earl of Rich-
mond.
King Henry. Come hither, England's hope. — If
secret powers [Lays his hand on his head.
Suggest but truth to my divining thoughts,
This pretty lad will prove our country's bliss. 70
His looks are full of peaceful majesty,
His head by nature fram'd to wear a crown,
His hand to wield a sceptre, and himself
Likely in time to bless a regal throne.
Make much of him, my lords ; for this is he
Must help you more than you are hurt by me.
Enter a Messenger
Warwick. What news, my friend ?
Messenger. That Edward is escaped from your brother,
And fled, as he hears since, to BuTgatvd^.
126 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act IV
Warwick. Unsavoury news! but how made he
escape ? 80
Messenger. He was convey'd by Richard Duke of
Gloster
And the Lord Hastings, who attended him
In secret ambush on the forest side,
And from the bishop's huntsmen rescued him,
For hunting was his daily exercise.
Warwick. My brother was too careless of his
charge. —
But let us hence, my sovereign, to provide
A salve for any sore that may betide.
[Exeunt King Henry, Warwick, Clarence, Lieutenant,
and attendants.
Somerset. My lord, I like not of this flight of Edward's,
For doubtless Burgundy will yield him help, 90
And we shall have more wars before 't be long.
As Henry's late presaging prophecy
Did glad my heart with hope of this young Rich-
mond,
So doth my heart misgive me, in these conflicts
What may befall him, to his harm and ours ;
Therefore, Lord Oxford, to prevent the worst,
Forthwith we '11 send him hence to Brittany
Till storms be past of civil enmity.
Oxford. Ay ; for if Edward repossess the crown,
'T is like that Richmond with the rest shall down. 100
Somerset. It shall be so ; he shall to Brittany.
Come therefore, let 's about it speedily, [Exeunt.
Scene vn] Third Part of King Henry VI 127
Scene VII. Before York
Enter King Edward, Gloster, Hastings, and Forces
King Edward. Now, brother Richard, Lord Hastings,
and the rest,
Yet thus far fortune maketh us amends,
And says that once more I shall interchange
My waned state for Henry's regal crown.
Well have we pass'd and now repass *d the seas,
And brought desired help from Burgundy.
What then remains, we being thus arriv'd
From Ravenspurg haven before the gates of York,
But that we enter as into our dukedom ?
Gloster. The gates made fast 1 — Brother, I like not
this ; 10
For many men that stumble at the threshold
Are well foretold that danger lurks within.
King Edward. Tush, man ! abodements must not
now affright us ;
By fair or foul means we must enter in,
For hither will our friends repair to us.
Hastings. My liege, I '11 knock once more to summon
them.
Enter on the walls, the Mayor of York and his Brethren
Mayor. My lords, we were forewarned of your coming
And shut the gates for safety of ourselves,
For now we owe allegiance unto Henry. ^
128 Third Part of King Henry VI [Activ
King Edward. But master mayor, if Henry be your
king,
Yet Edward, at the least, is Duke of York.
Mayor. True, my good lord ; I know you for no
less.
King Edward. Why, and I challenge nothing but
my dukedom,
As being well content with that alone.
Gloster. [Aside] But when the fox hath once got in
his nose,
He '11 soon find means to make the body follow.
Hastings. Why, master mayor, why stand you in a
doubt?
Open the gates ; we are King Henry's friends.
Mayor. Ay, say you so? the gates shall then be
open'd. [Exeunt from above.
Gloster. A wise, stout captain, and soon persuaded. 30
Hastings. The good old man would fain that all were
well,
So 't were not long of him ; but, being enter'd,
I doubt not, I, but we shall soon persuade
Both him and all his brothers unto reason.
Enter the Mayor and two Aldermen, below
King Edward. So, master mayor ; these gates must
not be shut
But in the night or in the time of war.
What 1 fear not, man, but yield me up the keys ;
{Takes his keys.
Scene vii] Third Part of King Henry VI 129
For Edward will defend the town and thee,
And all those friends that deign to follow me.
March. Enter Montgomery and Forces
Gloster. Brother, this is Sir John Montgomery, 40
Our trusty friend unless I be deceiv'd.
King Edward. Welcome, Sir John ; but why come
you in arms?
Montgomery. To help King Edward in his time of
storm,
As every loyal subject ought to do.
King Edward. Thanks, good Montgomery; but we
now forget
Our title to the crown, and only claim
Our dukedom till God please to send the rest.
Montgomery. Then fare you well, for I will hence
again ;
I came to serve a king, and not a duke. —
Drummer, strike up, and let us march away. 50
\A march begun.
King Edward. Nay, stay, Sir John, awhile, and we '11
debate
By what safe means the crown may be recover'd.
Montgomery. What talk you of debating? in few
words,
If you '11 not here proclaim yourself our king,
I '11 leave you to your fortune and begone
To keep them back that come to succour you.
Why shall we fight if you pretend no XftNfcl
3 HENRY vi — 9
130 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act IV
Gloster. Why, brother, wherefore stand you on nice
points ?
King Edward. When we grow stronger, then we '11
make our claim ;
Till then \ is wisdom to conceal our meaning. 60
Hastings, Away with scrupulous wit 1 now arms must
rule.
Gloster. And fearless minds climb soonest unto
crowns. —
Brother, we will proclaim you out of hand ;
The bruit thereof will bring you many friends.
King Edward. Then be it as you will ; for 't is my
right,
And Henry but usurps the diadem.
Montgomery. Ay, now my sovereign speaketh like
himself,
And now will I be Edward's champion.
Hastings. Sound, trumpet 1 Edward shall be here
proclaim'd. —
Come, fellow-soldier, make thou proclamation. 70
[Gives him a paper. Flourish.
Soldier. [Reads] * Edward the Fourth, by the grace
of God,
King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland? etc.
Montgomery. And whosoe'er gainsays King Edward's
right,
By this I challenge him to single fight.
[Throws down his gauntlet.
All. Long live Edward the Fourth!
Scene vill] Third Part of King Henry VI 131
King Edward. Thanks, brave Montgomery, and
thanks unto you all;
If fortune serve me, I '11 requite this kindness.
Now for this night let 's harbour here in York ;
And when the morning sun shall raise his car
AjDove the border of this horizon 80
We '11 forward towards Warwick and his mates,
For well I wot that Henry is no soldier. —
Ah, froward Clarence I how evil it beseems thee
To flatter Henry and forsake thy brother 1
Yet, as we may, we '11 meet both thee and Warwick. —
Come on, brave soldiers ; doubt not of the day,
And, that once gotten, doubt not of large pay.
[Exeunt
Scene VIII. London. The Palace
Flourish. Enter King Henry, Warwick, Clarence,
Montague, Exeter, and Oxford
Warwick. What counsel, lords ? Edward from
Belgia,
With hasty Germans and blunt Hollanders,
Hath pass'd in safety through the narrow seas,
And with his troops doth march amain to London ;
And many giddy people flock to him.
King Henry. Let 's levy men and beat him back
again.
Clarence. A little fire is quickly trodden out,
Which, being suffer'd, rivers cannot c^ftdci.
132 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act iv
Warwick. In Warwickshire I have true-hearted
friends,
Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war. 10
Those will I muster up ; — and thou, son Clarence,
Shalt stir up in Suffolk, Norfolk, and in Kent
The knights and gentlemen to come with thee. —
Thou, brother Montague, in Buckingham,
Northampton, and in Leicestershire shalt find
Men well inclin'd to hear what thou command'st. —
And thou, brave Oxford, wondrous well belov'd,
In Oxfordshire shalt muster up thy friends. —
My sovereign, with the loving citizens,
Like to his island girt in with the ocean, 20
Or modest Dian circled with her nymphs,
Shall rest in London till we come to him. —
Fair lords, take leave, and stand not to reply. —
Farewell, my sovereign.
King Henry. Farewell, my Hector, and my Troy's
true hope.
Clarence. In sign of truth I kiss your highness' hand.
King Henry. Well-minded Clarence, be thou fortu-
nate I
Montague. Comfort, my lord; — and so I take my
leave.
Oxford. And thus [kissing Henry's hand] I seal my
truth, and bid adieu.
King Henry. Sweet Oxford, and my loving Mon-
tague, 30
And all at once, once more a happy farewell.
Scene Vlli] Third Part of King Henry VI 133
Warwick, Farewell, sweet lords ; let 's meet at Cov-
entry. [Exeunt Warwick, Clarendon,
Oxford, and Montague.
King Henry. Here at the palace will I rest awhile. —
Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship ?
Methinks the power that Edward hath in field
Should not be able to encounter mine.
Exeter. The doubt is that he will seduce the rest.
King Henry. That 's not my fear ; my meed hath got
me fame.
I have not stopp'd mine ears to their demands,
Nor posted off their suits with slow delays ; 40
My pity hath been balm to heal their wounds,
My mildness hath allay'd their swelling griefs,
My mercy dried their water-flowing tears.
I have not been desirous of their wealth
Nor much oppress'd them with great subsidies,
Nor forward of revenge, though they much err'd ;
Then, why should they love Edward more than me ?
No, Exeter, these graces challenge grace ;
And when the lion fawns upon the lamb
The lamb will never cease to follow him. 50
[Shout within. i A Lancaster 1 A Lancaster 1 '
Exeter. Hark, hark, my lord ! what shouts are these?
Enter King Edward, Gloster, and Soldiers
King Edward. Seize on the shame-fac'd Henry 1
bear him hence,
And once again proclaim us king oi ILngtaxtdu —
134 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act IV
You are the fount that makes small brooks to flow.
Now stops thy spring ; my sea shall suck them dry
And swell so much the higher by their ebb. —
Hence with him to the Tower 1 let him not speak. —
[Exeunt some with King Henry.
And, lords, towards Coventry bend we our course,
Where peremptory Warwick now remains.
The sun shines hot, and, if we use delay, 60
Cold biting winter mars our hop'd-for hay.
Gloster. Away betimes, before his forces join,
And take the great-grown traitor unawares.
Brave warriors, march amain towards Coventry.
[Exeunt
Coventry
ACT V
Scene I. Coventry
Enter, upon the wa/ls, Warwick, the Mayor of Coventry,
two Messengers, and others
Warwick, Where is the post that came from valiant
Oxford? —
How far hence is thy lord, mine honest fellow ?
i Messenger. By this time at Dunsmore, marching
hitherward.
Warwick. How far off is our brother Montague ?
Where is the post that came from Montague ?
2 Messenger. By this at Daintry, with a puissant
troop.
136 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
Enter Sir John Somerville
Warwick. Say, Somerville, what says my loving son ?
And, by thy guess, how nigh is Clarence now ?
Somerville. At Southam I did leave him with his
forces
And do expect him here some two hours hence. 10
[Drum heard.
Warwick. Then Clarence is at hand; I hear his
drum.
Somerville. It is not his, my lord; here Southam
lies.
The drum your honour hears marcheth from Warwick.
Warwick. Who should that be ? belike, unlook'd-for
friends.
Somerville. They are at hand, and you shall quickly
know.
March. Flourish. Enter King Edward, Gloster,
and Forces
King Edward. Go, trumpet, to the walls and sound
a parle.
Gloster. See how the surly Warwick mans the wall.
Warwick. O, unbid spite ! is sportful Edward come ?
Where slept our scouts, or how are they seduc'd,
That we could hear no news of his repair ? 20
King Edward. Now, Warwick, wilt thou ope the
city gates ?
Speak gentle words and humbly bewdth^ knee,
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 137
Call Edward king and at his hands beg mercy,
And he shall pardon thee these outrages.
Warwick. Nay, rather, wilt thou draw thy forces
hence,
Confess who set thee up and pluck'd thee down ?
Call Warwick patron and be penitent,
And thou shalt still remain the Duke of York.
Gloster. I thought, at least, he would have said the
king;
Or did he make the jest against his will ? 30
Warwick. Is not a dukedom, sir, a goodly gift ?
Gloster. Ay, by my faith, for a poor earl to give ;
I '11 do thee service for so good a gift
Warwick. 'Twas I that gave the kingdom to thy
brother.
King Edward. Why, then, 't is mine, if but by War-
wick's gift.
Warwick. Thou art no Atlas for so great a weight,
And, weakling, Warwick takes his gift again ; .
And Henry is my king, Warwick his subject.
King Edward. But Warwick's king is Edward's
prisoner ;
And, gallant Warwick, do but answer this : 40
What is the body when the head is off ?
Gloster. Alas 1 that Warwick had no more forecast,
But, whiles he thought to steal the single ten,
The king was slyly finger'd from the deck !
You left poor Henry at the bishop's palace,
And, ten to one, vou '11 meet him \xi VSfc&Towx*
138 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
King Edward. 'T is even so ; yet you are Warwick still.
Gloster. Come, Warwick, take the time ; kneel down,
kneel down.
Nay, when ? strike now, or else the iron cools.
Warwick. I had rather chop this hand off at a blow,
And with the other fling it at thy face, 51
Then bear so low a sail, to strike to thee.
King Edward. Sail how thou canst, have wind and
tide thy friend,
This hand, fast wound about thy coal-black hair,
Shall, whiles thy head is warm and new cut off,
Write in the dust this sentence with thy blood,
* Wind-changing Warwick now can change no more.'
Enter Oxford, with Forces
Warwick. O cheerful colours 1 see where Oxford
comes.
Oxford. Oxford, Oxford, for Lancaster !
\He and his forces enter the city.
Gloster. The gates are open ; let us enter too. 60
King Edward. So other foes may set upon our backs.
Stand we in good array, for they no doubt
Will issue out again and bid us battle ;
If not, the city being but of small defence,
We '11 quickly rouse the traitors in the same.
Warwick. O, welcome, Oxford, for we want thy help.
Enter Montague, with Forces
Montague. Montague, Montague, for Lancaster !
[He and his forces tnttr tht city.
Scene I] Third Part of King Henry VI 139
Gloster. Thou and thy brother both shall buy this
treason,
Even with the dearest blood your bodies bear. 69
King Edward, The harder match 'd, the greater
victory ;
My mind presageth happy gain and conquest.
Enter Somerset, with Forces
Somerset Somerset, Somerset, for Lancaster !
[He and his forces enter the city.
Gloster. Two of thy name, both Dukes of Somerset,
Have sold their lives unto the House of York ;
And thou shalt be the third if this sword hold.
Enter Clarence, with Forces
Warwick. And, lo, where George of Clarence sweeps
along,
Of force enough to bid his brother battle ;
With whom an upright zeal to right prevails,
More than the nature of a brother's love 1 —
[Gloster and Clarence whisper.
Come, Clarence, come ; thou wilt if Warwick calls. 80
Clarence. Father of Warwick, know you what this
means ? [Taking the red rose out of his hat.
Look here, I throw my infamy at thee ;
I will not ruinate my father's house,
Who gave his blood to lime the stones together
And set up Lancaster. Why, trow'st thou, Warwick,
That Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural,
To bend the fatal instruments oi viax
140 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act V
Against his brother and his lawful king ?
Perhaps thou wilt object thy holy oath ;
To keep that oath were more impiety 90
Than Jephtha's when he sacrificed his daughter.
I am so sorry for my trespass made
That, to deserve well at my brother's hands,
I here proclaim myself thy mortal foe,
With resolution, wheresoe'er I meet thee —
As I will meet thee, if thou stir abroad —
To plague thee for thy foul misleading me.
And so, proud-hearted Warwick, I defy thee,
And to my brother turn my blushing cheeks. —
Pardon me, Edward, I will make amends ; — 100
And, Richard, do not frown upon my faults,
For I will henceforth be no more unconstant.
King Edward. Now, welcome more, and ten times
more belov'd,
Than if thou never hadst deserved our hate.
Gloster. Welcome, good Clarence; this is brother-
like.
Warwick. O passing traitor, perjur'd and unjust !
King Edward. What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the
town and fight,
Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears ?
Warwick. Alas ! I am not coop'd here for defence ;
I will away towards Barnet presently, no
And bid thee battle, Edward, if thou dar'st.
King Edward. Yes, Warwick, Edward dares, and
leads the way. —
Scene ii] Third Part of King Henry VI 141
Lords, to the field I Saint George and victory !
[March. Exeunt.
Scene II. A Field of Battle near Barnet
Alarums and Excursions. Enter King Edward, bring-
ing in Warwick wounded
King Edward. So, lie thou there ; die thou, and die
our fear,
For Warwick was a bug that fear'd us all. —
Now, Montague, sit fast ; I seek for thee,
That Warwick's bones may keep thine company. [Exit.
Warwick. Ah 1 who is nigh ? come to me, friend or
foe,
And tell me who is victor, York or Warwick.
Why ask I that ? my mangled body shows ;
My blood, my want of strength, my sick heart shows
That I must yield my body to the earth
And, by my fall, the conquest to my foe. 10
Thus yields the cedar to the axe's edge,
Whose arms gave shelter to the princely eagle,
Under whose shade the ramping lion slept,
Whose top-branch overpeer'd Jove's spreading tree,
And kept low shrubs from winter's powerful wind.
These eyes, that now are dimm'd with death's black
veil,
Have been as piercing as the midday sun,
To search the secret treasons of the world ;
The wrinkles in my brows, now fvWd wftvYtafiA.*
142 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
Were liken'd oft to kingly sepulchres, 20
For who liv'd king but I could dig his grave ?
And who durst smile when Warwick bent his brow ?
Lo, now my glory smear'd in dust and blood !
My parks, my walks, my manors that I had,
Even now forsake me, and of all my lands
Is nothing left me but my body's length.
Why, what is pomp, rule, reign, but earth and dust ?
And, live we how we can, yet die we must
Enter Oxford and Somerset
Somerset. Ah, Warwick, Warwick ! wert thou as we
are,
We might recover all our loss again. 30
The queen from France hath brought a puissant power ;
Even now we heard the news. Ah, couldst thou fly 1
Warwick. Why, then I would not fly. — Ah, Mon-
tague 1
If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand
And with thy lips keep in my soul awhile.
Thou lov'st me not ; for brother, if thou did'st,
Thy tears would wash this cold, congealed blood
That glues my lips and will not let me speak.
Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead.
Somerset Ah, Warwick, Montague hath breath'd his
last, 40
And to the latest gasp cried out for Warwick,
And said ' Commend me to my valiant brother.'
And wore he would have said, and more he spoke,
Scene in] Third Part of King Henry VI 143
Which sounded like a clamour in a vault
That might not be distinguish 'd ; but at last
I well might hear, deliver'd with a groan, —
' O, farewell, Warwick ! '
Warwick. Sweet rest his soul ! — Fly, lords, and save
yourselves ;
For Warwick bids you all farewell, to meet in heaven.
[Dies.
Oxford. Away, away, to meet the queen's great
power 1 [Exeunt bearing off Warwick's body.
Scene III. Another Part of the Field
Flourish. Enter King Edward in triumph; with
Clarence, Gloster, and the rest
King Edward. Thus far our fortune keeps an up-
ward course,
And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory.
But, in the midst of this bright-shining day,
I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud,
That will encounter with our glorious sun
Ere he attain his easeful western bed.
I mean, my lords, those powers that the queen
Hath rais'd in Gallia have arriv'd our coast
And, as we hear, march on to fight with us.
Clarence. A little gale will soon disperse that cloud
And blow it to the source from whence it came ; u
Thy very beams will dry those vapours up,
For every cloud engenders not a storm.
144 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
Gloster. The queen is valued thirty thousand strong,
And Somerset, with Oxford, fled to her ;
If she have time to breathe, be well assur'd,
Her faction will be full as strong as ours.
King Edward, We are advertis'd by our loving
friends
That they do hold their course toward Tewkesbury.
We, having now the best at Barnet field, 20
Will thither straight, for willingness rids way ;
And, as we march, our strength will be augmented
In every county as we go along. —
Strike up the drum I cry * Courage ! ' and away.
[Flourish. Exeunt
Scene IV. Plains near Tewkesbury
March. Enter Queen Margaret, Prince Edward,
Somerset, Oxford, and Soldiers
Queen Margaret Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and
wail their loss,
But cheerly seek how to redress their harms.
What though the mast be now blown overboard,
The cable broke, the holding-anchor lost,
And half our sailors swallow'd in the flood ?
Yet lives our pilot still. Is 't meet that he
Should leave the helm, and like a fearful lad
With tearful eyes add water to the sea,
And give more strength to that which hath too much,
Whiles in his moan the ship splits on the rock, 10
Scene IV] Third Part of King Henry VI 145
Which industry and courage might have sav'd ?
Ah, what a shame 1 ah, what a fault were this 1
Say Warwick was our anchor ; what of that ?
And Montague our topmast ; what of him ?
Our slaughter^ friends the tackles ; what of these ?
Why, is not Oxford here another anchor,
And Somerset another goodly mast ?
The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings ?
And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I
For once allow'd the skilful pilot's charge ? 20
We will not from the helm to sit and weep,
But keep our course, though the rough wind say no,
From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wrack.
As good to chide the waves as speak them fair.
And what is Edward but a ruthless sea ?
What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit ?
And Richard but a ragged fatal rock ?
All these the enemies to our poor bark ?
Say you can swim ; alas, *t is but a while !
Tread on the sand ; why, there you quickly sink : 30
Bestride the rock ; the tide will wash you off,
Or else you famish, — that 's a threefold death.
This speak I, lords, to let you understand,
If case some one of you would fly from us,
That there *s no hop'd-for mercy with the brothers
More than with ruthless waves, with sands, and rocks.
Why, courage then I what cannot be avoided
'T were childish weakness to lament or fear.
Prince. Methinks, a woman of this TOlvaxft. ^VxSx
3 henry vi — 10
146 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
Should, if a coward heard her speak these words, 40
Infuse his breast with magnanimity,
And make him, naked, foil a man at arms.
I speak not this as doubting any here ;
For, did I but suspect a fearful man,
He should have leave to go away betimes,
Lest in our need he might infect another
And make him of like spirit to himself.
If any such be here — as God forbid ! —
Let him depart before we need his help.
Oxford, Women and children of so high a courage, 50
And warriors faint ! why, 't were perpetual shame. —
O, brave young prince ! thy famous grandfather
Doth live again in thee ; long mayst thou live
To bear his image and renew his glories !
Somerset And he that will not fight for such a hope,
Go home to bed, and like the owl by day,
If he arise, be mock'd and wonder'd at.
Queen Margaret Thanks, gentle Somerset. — Sweet
Oxford, thanks.
Prince. And take his thanks that yet hath nothing
else.
Enter a Messenger
Messenger. Prepare you, lords, for Edward is at
hand 60
Ready to fight ; therefore be resolute.
Oxford. I thought no less ; it is his policy
To haste thus fast, to find us unprovided.
Somerset But he 's deceiv'd ; we are in readiness.
Scene IV] Third Part of King Henry VI 147
Queen Margaret This cheers my heart, to see your
forwardness.
Oxford. Here pitch our battle; hence we will not
budge.
Flourish and March. Enter King Edward, Clarence,
Gloster, and Forces
King Edward. Brave followers, yonder stands the
thorny wood
Which, by the heaven's assistance and your strength,
Must by the roots be hewn up yet ere night.
I need not add more fuel to your fire, 70
For, well I wot, ye blaze to burn them out.
Give signal to the fight, and to it, lords !
Queen Margaret. Lords, knights, and gentlemen,
what I should say,
My tears gainsay ; for every word I speak,
Ye see I drink the water of my eyes.
Therefore, no more but this : Henry, your sovereign,
Is prisoner to the foe, his state usurp'd,
His realm a slaughter-house, his subjects slain,
His statutes cancell'd, and his treasure spent ;
And yonder is the wolf that makes this spoil. 80
You fight in justice ; then, in God's name, lords,
Be valiant and give signal to the fight.
[Exeunt doth armies.
148 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
Scene V. Another part of the Field
Flourish. Enter King Edward, Clarence, Gloster,
and Forces ; with Queen Margaret, Oxford, and
Somerset, as prisoners
King Edward. Now, here a period of tumultuous
broils.
Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight ;
For Somerset, off with his guilty head.
Go, bear them hence ; I will not hear them speak.
Oxford. For my part, I '11 not trouble thee with
words.
Somerset. Nor I, but stoop with patience to my
fortune.
\Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded.
Queen Margaret. So part we sadly in this troublous
world,
To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
King Edward. Is proclamation made that who finds
Edward
Shall have a high reward, and he his life ? 10
Gloster. It is; and, lo, where youthful Edward
comes 1
Enter Soldiers with Prince Edward
King Edward. Bring forth the gallant ; let us hear
him speak.
What ! can so young a thorn begin to prick ? —
JEdward, what satisfaction canst thou make
Scene V] Third Part of King Henry VI 149
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to ?
Prince, Speak like a subject, proud, ambitious York I
Suppose that I am now my father's mouth ;
Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou,
Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee 20
Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
Queen Margaret. Ah, thy father had been so re-
solv'd !
Gloster. That you might still have worn the petticoat,
And ne'er have stolen the breech from Lancaster.
Prince. Let ^Esop fable in a winter's night ;
His currish riddles sort not with this place.
Gloster. By heaven, brat, I '11 plague you for that
word.
Queen Margaret Ay, thou wast born to be a plague
to men.
Gloster. For God's sake, take away this captive
scold.
Prince. Nay, take away this scolding crook-back
rather. 30
King Edward. Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm
your tongue.
Clarence. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.
Prince. I know my duty ; you are all undutif ul.
Lascivious Edward, — and thou perjur'd George, —
And thou misshapen Dick, — I tell ye all,
I am your better, traitors as ye are ; —
And thou usurp'st my father's rigYvt ax& m\t&.
150 Third Part of King Henry VI [Art?
King Edward. Take that, the likeness of this railer
here. [Stabs him.
Gloster. SprawFst thou ? take that, to end thy agony.
[Stabs him.
Clarence. And there's for twitting me with perjury.
[Stabs him.
Queen Margaret. O, kill me too ! 41
Gloster. Marry, and shall. [Offers to kill her.
King Edward. Hold, Richard, hold ! for we have
done too much.
Gloster. Why should she live to fill the world with
words ?
King Edward. What 1 doth she swoon ? use means
for her recovery.
Gloster. Clarence, excuse me to the king, my brother.
I '11 hence to London on a serious matter ;
Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news.
Clarence. What? what?
Gloster. The Tower ! the Tower ! [Exit.
Queen Margaret. O Ned ! sweet Ned I speak to thy
mother, boy. 51
Canst thou not speak ? — O traitors I murtherers I
They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all,
Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
If this foul deed were by to equal it.
He was a man ; this, in respect, a child,
And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
What 's worse than murtherer, that I may name it ?
No, no, my heart will burst, an VL I s<£feak\
Scene V] Third Part of King Henry VI 151
And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. — 60
Butchers and villains ! bloody cannibals !
How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd !
You have no children, butchers ! if you had,
The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse ;
But, if you ever chance to have a child,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off
As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince 1
King Edward. Away with her ! go, bear her hence
perforce.
Queen Margaret. Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch
me here ;
Here sheathe thy sword, I '11 pardon thee my death. 70
What I wilt thou not ? — then, Clarence, do it thou.
Clarence. By heaven, I will not do thee so much
ease.
Queen Margaret. Good Clarence, do ; sweet Clar-
ence, do thou do it.
Clarence. Didst thou not hear me swear I would not
doit?
Queen Margaret. Ay, but thou usest to forswear thy-
self ;
'T was. sin before, but now 't is charity.
What I wilt thou not ? where is that devil's butcher,
Hard-favour'd Richard ? — Richard, where art thou ?
Thou art not here ; murther is thy alms-deed,
Petitioners for blood thou ne'er putt'st back. 80
King Edward. Away, I say ! I charge ye, bear her
hence.
152 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
Queen Margaret So come to you and yours as to
this prince I [She is taken out.
King Edward. Where *s Richard gone ?
Clarence. To London, all in post, and, as I guess,
To make a bloody supper in the Tower.
King Edward. He 's sudden if a thing comes in his
head.
Now march we hence ; discharge the common sort
With pay and thanks, and let 's away to London,
And see our gentle queen how well she fares. 89
By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. [Exeunt
Scene VI. London. The Tower
King Henry is discovered sitting with a book in his hand,
the Lieutenant attending. Enter Gloster
Gloster. Good day, my lord. What I at your book so
hard ?
King Henry. Ay, my good lord ; — my lord, I should
say rather.
T is sin to flatter ; ' good ' was little better.
Good Gloster and good devil were alike,
And both preposterous ; therefore, not good lord.
Gloster. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves ; we must
confer. [Exit Lieutenant
King Henry. So flies the reckless shepherd from the
wolf;
So first the harmless sheep doth. ^e\&\ft&fe&g& %
Scene vi] Third Part of King Henry VI 153
And next his throat unto the butcher's knife. —
What scene of death hath Roscius now to act ? 10
Gloster. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind ;
The thief doth fear each bush an officer.
King Henry. The bird that hath been limed in a
bush
With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush ;
And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird,
Have now the fatal object in my eye
Where my poor young was lim'd, was caught, and kilPd.
Gloster. Why, what a peevish fool was that of Crete
That taught his son the office of a fowl !
And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd. 20
King Henry. I, Daedalus ; my poor boy, Icarus ;
Thy father, Minos, that denied our course ;
The sun that sear'd the wings of my sweet boy,
Thy brother Edward ; and thyself , the sea
Whose envious gulf did swallow up his life.
Ah, kill me with thy weapon, not with words !
My breast can better brook thy dagger's point .
Than can my ears that tragic history.
But wherefore dost thou come ? is 't for my life ?
Gloster. Think'st thou I am an executioner ? 30
King Henry. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art ;
If murthering innocents be executing,
Why, then thou art an executioner.
Gloster. Thy son I kilPd for his presumption.
King Henry. Hadst thou been kilPd when first thou
didst presume,
154 Third Part of King Henry VI [Act v
Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine.
And thus I prophesy, — that many a thousand,
Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear,
And many an old man's sigh and many a widow's,
And many an orphan's water-standing eye, — 40
Men for their sons', wives for their husbands' fate,
And orphans for their parents' timeless death, —
Shall rue the hour that ever thou wast born.
The owl shriek'd at thy birth, an evil sign ;
The night-crow cried, aboding luckless time ;
Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempest shook down trees ;
The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top,
And chatt'ring pies in dismal discord sung.
Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain,
And yet brought forth less than a mother's hope, 50
An indigested and deformed lump,
Not like the fruit of such a goodly tree.
Teeth hadst thou in thy head when thou wast born,
To signify thou cam'st to bite the world ;
And, if the rest be true which I have heard,
Thou cam'st —
Gloster. I '11 hear no more. Die, prophet, in thy
speech ; [Stabs him.
For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain 'd.
King Henry. Ay, and for much more slaughter after
this. 59
O, God forgive my sins, and pardon thee 1 [Dies.
Gloster. What ! will the aspiring blood of Lancaster
Sink in the ground ? I thought \t ^ov\& Yon*. \ft&Ns&&L
Scene vi] Third Part of King Henry VI 155
See, how my sword weeps for the poor king's death I
0, may such purple tears be always shed
From those that wish the downfall of our house I —
If any spark of life be yet remaining,
Down, down to hell ; and say I sent thee thither,
[Stabs him again.
1, that have neither pity, love, nor fear.
Indeed, 't is true that Henry told me of ;
For I have often heard my mother say 70
I came into the world with my legs forward.
Had I not reason, think ye, to make haste
And seek their ruin that usurp'd our right ?
The midwife wonder'd ; and the women cried,
' O, Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth ! '
And so I was, which plainly signified
That I should snarl and bite and play the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shap'd my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it.
I have no brother, I am like no brother, 80
And this word * love,' which greybeards call divine,
Be resident in men like one another,
And not in me I I am myself alone. —
Clarence, beware ! thou keep'st me from the light ;
But I will sort a pitchy day for thee,
For I will buzz abroad such prophecies
That Edward shall be fearful of his life,
And then, to purge his fear, I 41 be thy death.
King Henry and the prince his son are gone ;
Clarence, thy turn is next, and then \ke xssX., <*>
156 Third Part of King Henry VI [Acty
Counting myself but bad till I be best.
I '11 throw thy body in another room,
And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom.
[Exit with the body.
Scene VII. London. The Palace
King Edward is discovered sitting on his throne; Queen
Elizabeth with the infant Prince, Clarence, Glos-
ter, Hastings, and others, near him
King Edward. Once more we sit in England's royal
throne,
Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies.
What valiant foemen, like to autumn's corn,
Have we mow'd down in tops of all their pride !
Three Dukes of Somerset, threefold renown 'd
For hardy and undoubted champions ;
Two Cliffords, as the father and the son ;
And two Northumberlands, — two braver men
Ne'er spurr'd their coursers at the trumpet's sound ;
With them the two brave bears, Warwick and Mon-
tague, 10
That in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion
And made the forest tremble when they roar'd.
Thus have we swept suspicion from our seat
And made our footstool of security. —
Come hither, Bess, and let me kiss my boy. —
Young Ned, for thee thine xmcles and myself
Scene vn] Third Part of King Henry VI 157
Have in our armours watch 'd the winter's night,
Went all afoot in summer's scalding heat,
That thou mightst repossess the crown in peace ;
And of our labours thou shalt reap the gain. 20
Gloster. [Aside] I '11 blast his harvest if your head
were laid;
For yet I am not look'd on in the world.
This shoulder was ordain'd so thick to heave ;
And heave it shall some weight or break my back. —
Work thou the way, — and that shall execute.
King Edward. Clarence and Gloster, love my lovely
queen ;
And kiss your princely nephew, brothers both.
Clarence. The duty that I owe unto your majesty
I seal upon the lips of this sweet babe.
Queen. Thanks, noble Clarence; worthy brother,
thanks. 30
Gloster. And, that I love the tree from whence thou
sprang'st,
Witness the loving kiss I give the fruit. —
[Aside] To say the truth, so Judas kiss'd his master,
And cried, all hail I whenas he meant all harm.
King Edward. Now am I seated as my soul delights,
Having my country's peace and brothers' loves.
Clarence. What will your grace have done with
Margaret ?
Reignier, her father, to the King of France
Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Jerusalem,
And hither have they sent it for Yvei ra&s>om» ^
158 Third Part of King Henry VI [Actv
King Edward. Away with her and waft her hence
to France. —
And now what rests but that we spend the time
With stately triumphs, mirthful comic shows,
Such as befits the pleasure of the court ?
Sound drums and trumpets ! — farewell sour annoy I
For here, I hope, begins our lasting joy. [Exeunt
NOTES
Tewkesbury
NOTES
Introduction
The Metre of the Play. — It should be understood at the
outset that metre, or the mechanism of verse, is something alto-
gether distinct from the music of verse. The one is matter of rule,
the other of taste and feeling. Music is not an absolute necessity
of verse ; the metrical form is a necessity, being that which consti-
tutes the verse.
The plays of Shakespeare (with the exception of rhymed pas-
sages, and of occasional songs and interludes) are all in unrhymed
or blank verse ; and the normal form of this blank verse is illus-
trated by the first line of the present play : " I wonder how the
King escap'd our hands."
This line, it will be seen, consists of ten syllables, with the even
syllables (2d, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th) accented, the odd syllables
( 1 st, 3d, etc.) being unaccented. Theotfct\c«&'j % \\.\& TB»&fc ns^ *&
3 HENRY VI — II l6l
1 62 Notes
five feet of two syllables each, with the accent on the second sylla-
ble. Such a foot is called an iambus (plural, iambuses, or the Latin
iambi), and the form of verse is called iambic.
This fundamental law of Shakespeare's verse is subject to certain
modifications, the most important of which are as follows : —
i. After the tenth syllable an unaccented syllable (or even two
such syllables) may be added, forming what is sometimes called a
female line ; as in i. I. 54: " Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy
father." The rhythm is complete with the first syllable of father,
the second being an extra eleventh syllable. In i. 1. 33 ("And
when the King comes, offer him no violence " ) we have two extra
syllables, the rhythm being complete with the first syllable of violence,
2. The accent in any part of the verse may be shifted from an
even to an odd syllable ; as in i. 1. 8 : " Charged our main battle's
front, and breaking in," and i. 1. 17 : " Richard hath best deservM
of all my sons." In both lines the accent is shifted from the second
to the first syllable. This change occurs very rarely in the tenth
syllable, and seldom in the fourth ; and it is not allowable in two
successive accented syllables.
3. An extra unaccented syllable may occur in any part of the
line ; as in i. I. 1 1, 21, and 40. In 1 1 the second syllable of danger-
ously is superfluous ; in 21 the third syllable of victorious, and in 40
that of Plantagenet, In line 53 the word To is superfluous.
4. Any unaccented syllable, occurring in an even place immedi-
ately before or after an even syllable which is properly accented, is
reckoned as accented for the purposes of the verse ; as, for instance,
in lines 4 and 10. In 4 the last syllable of Northumberland, and
in 10 that of Buckingham, are metrically equivalent to accented
syllables; and so with the last syllable of dangerously in 11, of
Somerset in 18, and of Lancaster in 23.
5. In many instances in Shakespeare words must be lengthened
in order to fill out the rhythm : —
{a) In a large class of words in which e or i is followed by
another vowel, the e or i is made a separate syllable ; as, ocean,
Notes 163
opinion, soldier, patience, partial, marriage, etc. For instance,
i. 2. 6 ("No quarrel, but a slight contention") appears to have
only nine syllables, but contention is a quadrisyllable ; and the
same is true of occasions in iii. 2. 185. This lengthening occurs
most frequently at the end of the line. See also on passion, iv.
4. 19, soldiers, iii. 3. 204, and presumption, v. 6. 34.
(b) Many monosyllables ending in r, re, rs, res, preceded by a
long vowel or diphthong, are often made dissyllables ; as, fare, fear,
dear, hair, hour (see on ii. 5. 26), your, etc. In ii. 1. 83 ("Is
kindling coals that fires all my breast "), fires is a dissyllable. If
the word is repeated in a verse it is often both monosyllable and
dissyllable. In/. C, iii. 1. 172: "As fire drives out fire, so pity,
pity," the first fire is a dissyllable, the second a monosyllable.
(r) Words containing / or r, preceded by another consonant,
are often pronounced as if a vowel came between or after the con-
sonants ; as in Henry [Hen(e)ry] in i. 1. 139, i. 2. 10, and iii. 3.
90. In v. 4. 18 ("The friends of France, our shrouds and tack-
lings") tacklings [tackl(e)ings] is a trisyllable. See also T, of S,
ii. 1. 158: "While she did call me rascal fiddler" [fiddl(e)er];
All 's Well, iii. 5. 43 : " If you will tarry, holy pilgrim" [pilg(e)rim] ;
C, of E. v. I. 360: "These are the parents of these children"
(childeren, the original form of the word) ; W, T, iv. 4. 76 : "Grace
and remembrance [rememb(e) ranee] be to you both ! " etc.
(</) Monosyllabic exclamations (ay, 0,yea, nay, kail, etc.) and
monosyllables otherwise emphasized are similarly lengthened ; also
certain longer words ; as captain (trisyllable) in iv. 7. 30 ; safety
(trisyllable) in Ham, i. 3. 21 ; business (trisyllable, as originally
pronounced) in Rich. II, ii. 1. 217 (so in several other passages);
and other words mentioned in the notes to the plays.
6. Words are also contracted for metrical reasons, like plurals
and possessives ending in a sibilant, as, balance, horse (for horses,
as in i. 4. 127, and horse's), princess, sense, marriage (plural and
possessive), image, etc. So with many adjectives in the superlative
(like cold* st, sternest, hind f si, secret 1 st, etc.), and ctxt*iTL^\2eL«.'wstAs»*
164 Notes
7. The accent of words is also varied in many instances for met-
rical reasons. Thus we find both rivenue and revenue in the first
scene of M. N. D. (lines 6 and 158), cdnfine (noun) and confine,
dbscure and obscure, presage and presage, sepulchre (noun) and sepul-
chre, distinct and distinct, etc.
These instances of variable accent must not be confounded with
those in which words were uniformly accented differently in the
time of Shakespeare ; like aspect, obdurate (see on i. 4. 142), adver-
tise (see on ii. 1. 116), impdrtune, sepidchre (verb), per sever, (never
persevere}, perseverance, rheumatic, etc.
8. Alexandrines, or verses of twelve syllables, with six accents,
occur here and there in the plays. They must not be confounded
with female lines with two extra syllables (see on 1 above) or with
the many other lines in which two extra unaccented syllables may
occur.
9. Incomplete verses, of one or more syllables, are scattered
through the plays. See i. 1. 76, 119, 136, 181, etc.
10. Doggerel measure is used in the earliest comedies (Z. Z. Z.
and C. of E. in particular) in the mouths of comic characters,
but nowhere else in those plays, and never anywhere in plays
written after 1598. There is none in this play.
11. Rhyme occurs frequently in the early plays, but diminishes
with comparative regularity from that period until the latest
Thus, in Z. Z. Z. there are about 1 100 rhyming verses (about one-
third of the whole number), in M. N. D. about 900, in Rich.
II. and R. and J. about 500 each, while in Cor. and A, and C.
there are only about 40 each, in Temp, only two, and in W. T,
none at all, except in the chorus introducing act iv. Songs, inter-
ludes, and other matter not in ten-syllable measure are not included
in this enumeration. In the present play out of 2905 lines about
300 are in rhyme.
Alternate rhymes are found only in the plays written before 1599
or 1600. In Z. Z. Z. we find 242 lines, in C. of E. 64, and in M.
M Z>. 96. In M. of V, there are four lines at the end of iii. 2.
Notes 165
In Much Ado and A. Y. Z., we also find a few lines, but none
at all in subsequent plays. There are none in the present play,
though it is an early one.
Rhymed couplets, or " rhyme-tags," are often found at the end of
scenes ; as in 10 of the 28 scenes of the present play. In Ham. 14
out of 20 scenes, and in Macb. 21 out of 28, have such " tags ; " but
in the latest plays they are not so frequent. In Temp,, for instance,
there is but one, and in W. T, none.
12. In this edition of Shakespeare, the final -ed of past tenses
and participles in verse is printed -d when the word is to be pro-
nounced in the ordinary way ; as in join'd, line 15, and deserved,
line 1 7, of the first scene. But when the metre requires that the -«/
be made a separate syllable, the e is retained ; as in armed, line 167,
where the word is a dissyllable, and environed (quadrisyllable) in
line 242. The only variation from this rule is in verbs like cry, die,
sue, etc., the -ed of which is very rarely, if ever, 'made a separate
syllable.
Shakespeare's Use of Verse and Prose in the Plays. — This
is a subject to which the critics have given very little attention, but
it is an interesting study. In most of the plays we find scenes en-
tirely in verse or in prose, and others in which the two are mixed ;
but the present play (like King John and Rich. 77.) is wholly in
verse. In general, we may say that verse is used for what is dis-
tinctly poetical, and prose for what is not poetical. The distinction,
however, is not so clearly marked in the earlier as in the later plays.
The second scene of M. of V., for instance, is in prose, because
Portia and Nerissa are talking about the suitors in a familiar and
playful way ; but in T. G. of V., where Julia and Lucetta are dis-
cussing the suitors of the former in much the same fashion, the
scene is in verse. Dowden, commenting on Rich. IL, remarks :
" Had Shakespeare written the play a few years later, we may be
certain that the gardener and his servants (iii. 4) would not have
uttered stately speeches in verse, but would have spoken homely
prose, and that humour would have mingled TO&kAta ^a&s&& «&.<&&
1 66 Notes
scene. The same remark may be made with reference to the sub-
sequent scene (v. 5) in which his groom visits the dethroned king
in the Tower." Comic characters and those in low life generally
speak in prose in the later plays, as Dowden intimates, but in the
very earliest ones doggerel verse is much used instead. See on 10
above.
The change from prose to verse is well illustrated in the third
scene of M. of V. It begins with plain prosaic talk about a busi-
ness matter ; but when Antonio enters, it rises at once to the higher
level of poetry. The sight of Antonio reminds Shylock of his
hatred of the Merchant, and the passion expresses itself in verse,
the vernacular tongue of poetry.
The reasons for the choice of prose or verse are not always so
clear as in this instance. We are seldom puzzled to explain the
prose, but not unfrequently we meet with verse where we might
expect prose. As Professor Corson remarks (Introduction to Shake-
spear e t 1889), " Shakespeare adopted verse as the general tenor of
his language, and therefore expressed much in verse that is within
the capabilities of prose ; in other words, his verse constantly en-
croaches upon the domain of prose, but his prose can never be said
to encroach upon the domain of verse." If in rare instances we
think we find exceptions to this latter statement, and prose actually
seems to usurp the place of verse, I believe that careful study of
the passage will prove the supposed exception to be apparent rather
than real.
Some Books for Teachers and Students.— A few out of the
many books that might be commended to the teacher and the
critical student are the following : Halliwell-Phillipps's Outlines of
the Life of Shakespeare (7th ed. 1887); Sidney Lee's Life of Shake-
speare (1898 ; for ordinary students the abridged ed. of 1899 is
preferable) ; Rolfe's Life of Shakespeare (1904) ; Schmidt's Shake-
speare Lexicon (3d ed. 1902) ; Littledale's ed. of Dyce's Glossary
(1902); Bartlett's Concordance to Shakespeare (1895); Abbott's
Shakespearian Grammar (1873) > Fuxness's "New Variorum" ed
Notes 167
of the plays (encyclopaedic and exhaustive) ; Dowden's Shakspere :
His Mind and Art (American ed. 1881); Hudson's Life, Art, and
Characters of Shakespeare (revised ed. 1882); Mrs. Jameson's
Characteristics of Women (several eds. ; some with the title,
Shakespeare Heroines) ; Ten Brink's Five Lectures on Shakespeare
(1895); Boas's Shakespeare and His Predecessors (1895); Dyer's
Folk-lore of Shakespeare (American ed. 1884) ; Gervinus's Shake-
speare Commentaries (Bunnett's translation, 1875); Wordsworth's
Shakespeare's Knowledge of the Bible (3d ed. 1880); Elson's
Shakespeare in Music (1901).
Some of the above books will be useful to all readers who are
interested in special subjects or in general criticism of Shakespeare.
Among those which are better suited to the needs of ordinary read-
ers and students, the following may be mentioned : Mabie's Will-
iam Shakespeare: Poet, Dramatist, and Man (1900); Dowden's
Shakspere Primer (1877 ; small, but invaluable); Rolfe's Shake-
speare the Boy (1896 ; not a mere juvenile book, but treating of the
home and school life, the games and sports, the manners, customs,
and folk-lore of the poet's time) ; Guerber's Myths of Greece and
Rome (for young students who may need information on mytho-
logical allusions not explained in the notes).
H. Snowden Ward's Shakespeare's Town and Times (2d ed.
1902) and John Leyland's Shakespeare Country (2d ed. 1903) are
copiously illustrated books (yet inexpensive) which may be par-
ticularly commended for school libraries.
For the English historical plays B. E. Warner's English History
in Shakespeare's Plays (1894) will be good collateral reading,
particularly in secondary schools.
Abbreviations in the Notes. — The abbreviations of the
names of Shakespeare's plays will be readily understood ; as, T N.
for Twelfth Night, Cor. for Coriolanus, 2 Hen. IV. for The Second
Part of King Henry the Fourth, etc. P. P. refers to The Passionate
Pifgrim; V. and A. to Venus and Adonis; L. C. to Lover's
Complaint; and Sonn. to the Sonnets.
1 68 Notes
Other abbreviations that hardly need explanation are Cf, {confer,
compare), Fol, (following), Id, {idem, the same), and Pro/, (pro-
logue). The numbers of the lines in the references (except for
the present play) are those of the " Globe " edition (the cheapest
and best edition of Shakespeare in one compact volume), which is
now generally accepted as the standard for line-numbers in works
of reference (Schmidt's Lexicon, Abbott's Grammar, Dowden's
Primer, the publications of the New Shakspere Society, etc.).
The Story of the Play as told by the Chroniclers.—
For the following outline of the history of the play, with illustrative
extracts from the chroniclers, I am indebted to Knight : —
Act I.— "The battle of St. Alban's concluded the Second Part
of the drama of Henry VI, ; in the first scene of the Third Part the
conquerors are assembled in the parliament-house, boasting of their
exploits, and resolved to carry out their victory to its utmost conse-
quences. Yet five years had elapsed between this first great triumph
of the Yorkists and the compromise between the rival houses which
we find in the scene before us. That compromise followed the
battle of Northampton, in the 38th year of Henry VI.; the battle
of St. Alban's was fought in the 33d year of that reign. We tran-
scribe the passages from the Chroniclers upon which Shakspere has
constructed his plot. Hall says, —
" * During this trouble was a parliament summoned to begin at
Westminster in the month of October next following. Before
which time Richard Duke of York, being in Ireland, by swift cou-
riers and flying posts, was advertised of the great victory gained by
his party at the field of Northampton, and also knew that the king
was now in case to be kept and ordered at his pleasure and will ;
wherefore, losing no time, nor slugging one hour, he sailed from
Develine to Chester with no small company, and by long journeys
came to the city of London, which he entered the Friday next
before the feast of Saint Edward the Confessor, with a sword borne
naked before him, and took his tadgLiv^ \tv the king's own palace,
Notes 169
whereupon the common people babbled that he should be king,
and that King Henry should no longer reign. During the time of
this parliament, the Duke of York, with a bold countenance, en-
tered into the chamber of the peers and sat down in the throne
royal under the cloth of estate (which is the king's peculiar seat),
and in the presence as well of the nobility as of the spirituality
(after a pause made) said these words in effect.' . . .
" Hall gives a long oration, which Holinshed copies, with the
following remarks : • Master Edward Hall, in his Chronicle, maketh
mention of an oration which the Duke of York uttered, sitting in
the regal seat there in the chamber of the peers, either at this his
first coming in amongst them, or else at some one time after, the
which we have thought good also to set down; though John
Wethamsted, the Abbot of St. Alban's, who lived in those days,
and by all likelihood was there present at the parliament, maketh
no further recital of any words which the duke should utter at that
time in that his book of records, where he entreateth of this mat-
ter.' Hall thus proceeds: 'When the duke had thus ended his
oration, the lords sat still like images graven in the wall, or dumb
gods, neither whispering nor speaking, as though their mouths had
been sewed up. The duke, perceiving none answer to be made to
his declared purpose, not well content with their sober silence and
taciturnity, advised them well to digest and ponder the effect of his
oration and saying, and so, neither fully displeased nor all pleased,
departed to his lodging in the king's palace.'
"The compromise upon which the parliament resolved is thus
noticed by Hall : ' After long arguments made, and deliberate con-
sultation had among the peers, prelates, and commons of the realm,
upon the vigil of All Saints it was condescended and agreed by the
three estates, for so much as King Henry had been taken as king
by the space of xxxviii years and more, that he should enjoy the
name and title of king, and have possession of the realm, during
his life natural : And if he either died or resigned, or forfeited the
same for infringing any point of this cotvcotd, tkfew. \k& *»5A. wswv
170 Notes
and authority royal should immediately be divoluted to the Duke
of York, if he then lived, or else to the next heir of his line and
lineage, and that the duke from thenceforth should be protector
and regent of the land. Provided alway, that if the king did
closely or apertly study or go about to break or alter this agree-
ment, or to compass or imagine the death or destruction of the said
duke or his blood, then he to forfeit the crown, and the Duke of
York to take it. These articles, with many other, were not only
written, sealed, and sworn by the two parties, but also were enacted
in the high court of parliament. For joy whereof, the king, having
in his company the said duke, rode to the cathedral church of Saint
Paul within the city of London; and there, on the day of All
Saints, went solemnly, with the diadem on his head, in procession,
and was lodged a good space after in the bishop's palace, near to
the said church. And upon the Saturday next ensuing Richard
Duke of York was, by the sound of a trumpet, solemnly proclaimed
heir apparent to the crown of England, and protector of the realm.'
" The battle of Wakefield soon followed this hollow compromise.
The main incidents of the third and fourth scenes are built upon
the Chroniclers. Hall writes thus : ' The Duke of York with his
people descended down in good order and array, and was suffered
to pass forward toward the main battle : but when he was in the
plain ground between his castle and the town of Wakefield he was
environed on every side, like a fish in a net, or a deer in a buck-
stall : so that he, manfully fighting, was within half an hour slain
and dead, and his whole army discomfited ; and with him died of
his trusty friends, his two bastard uncles, Sir John and Sir Hugh
Mortimers, Sir Davy Halle his chief counsellor, Sir Hugh Hastings,
Sir Thomas Nevel, William and Thomas Aparre, both brethren, and
two thousand and eight hundred other, whereof many were young
gentlemen and heirs of great parentage in the south part, whose
lineages revenged their deaths within four months next and imme-
diately ensuing. . . . Whilst this battle was in fighting, a priest
called Sir Robert Aspall, chapVam audi s.cVvooWastex to the young
Notes 171
Earl of Rutland, ii son to the above named Duke of York, scarce
of the age of xii years, a fair gentleman, and a maidenlike person,
perceiving that flight was more safeguard than tarrying, both for
him and his master, secretly conveyed the earl out of the field, by
the Lord Clifford's band, toward the town ; but ere he could enter
into a house he was by the said Lord Clifford espied, followed, and
taken, and by reason of his apparel demanded what he was. The
young gentleman, dismayed, had not a word to speak, but kneeled
on his knees imploring mercy, and desiring grace, both with hold-
ing up his hands and making dolorous countenance, for his speech
was gone for fear. Save him, said his chaplain, for he is a prince's
son, and peradventure may do you good hereafter. With that
word, the Lord Clifford marked him, and said, By God's blood, thy
father slew mine, and so will I do thee and all thy kin : and with
that word stuck the earl to the heart with his dagger, and bade
his chaplain bear the earl's mother and brother word what he had
done and said.'
" This ferocious revenge of Clifford is commented upon with just
indignation by Hall : * In this act the Lord Clifford was accompted
a tyrant, and no gentleman.' He then proceeds to describe the
death of the Duke of York : 'This cruel Clifford and deadly blood-
supper, not content with this homicide, or childkilling, came to the
place where the dead corpse of the Duke of York lay, and caused
his head to be stricken off, and set on it a crown of paper, and so
fixed it on a pole, and presented it to the queen, not lying far from
the field, in great despite and much derision, saying, Madam, your
war is done, here is your king's ransom : at which present was
much joy and great rejoicing ; but many laughed then that sore
lamented after, as the queen herself, and her son : and many were
glad then of other men's deaths, not knowing that their own were
near at hand, as the Lord Clifford, and other. But, surely, man's
nature is so frail that things passed be soon forgotten, and mis-
chiefs to come be not foreseen. After this victory by the queen
and her party obtained, she caused the Eax\ o£ ^^toas^^rfi^^
172 Notes
the other prisoners, to be sent to Pomfret, and there to be be-
headed, and sent all their heads, and the Duke's head of York, to
be set upon poles over the gate of the city of York, in despite of
them and their lineage.'
" The circumstances attending the death of York are, however,
differently told. Holinshed says : * Some write that the duke was
taken alive, and in derision caused to stand upon a molehill, on
whose head they put a garland instead of a crown, which they had
fashioned and made of segges or bulrushes, and having so crowned
him with that garland they kneeled down afore him as the Jews
did to Christ in scorn, saying to him, Hail, king without rule;
hail, king without heritage ; hail, duke and prince without people
or possessions. And at length, having thus scorned him with these
and divers other the like despiteful words, they stroke off his head,
which (as ye have heard) they presented to the queen.' The poet
has taken the most picturesque parts of the two narratives."
Act II. — "The events which followed the death of the Duke
of York are thus described by Hall : ' The Earl of March, so com-
monly called, but after the death of his father in deed and in right
very Duke of York, lying at Gloucester, hearing of the death of his
noble father, and loving brother, and trusty friends, was wonder-
fully amazed ; but after comfort given to him by his faithful lovers
and assured allies, he removed to Shrewsbury and other towns
upon the river of Severn, declaring to them the murder of his
father, the jeopardy of himself, and the unstable state and ruin of
the realm. The people on the Marches of Wales, which above
measure favoured the lineage of the lord Mortimer, more gladly
offered him their aid and assistance than he it either instantly
required or heartily desired, so that he had a puissant army, to the
number of twenty-three thousand, ready to go against the queen
and the murderers of his father. But when he was setting forward
news were brought to him that Jasper Earl of Pembroke, half-
brother to King Henry, and James Butler Earl of Ormond and
Wiltshire, had assembled together a @cea.t number* both of Welsh
Notes 173
and Irish people, suddenly to surprise and take him and his friends,
and as a captive to convey him to the queen. The Duke of York,
called Earl of March, somewhat spurred and quickened with these
novelties, retired back, and met with his enemies in a fair plain
near to Mortimer's Cross, not far from Hereford east, on Candle-
mas-day in the morning, at which time the sun (as some write)
appeared to the Earl of March like three suns, and suddenly joined
altogether in one, and that upon the sight thereof he took such
courage that he fiercely set on his enemies, and them shortly dis-
comfited : for which cause men imagined that he gave the sun in
his full brightness for his cognizance or badge.*
" The poet passes over the battle of Mortimer's Cross, but gives
us the incident of the three suns. He also, not crowding the scene
with an undramatic succession of events nearly similar, omits all
mention of the second battle of St. Alban's, in which the queen
was victorious. This battle was fruitless to the cause of Lancaster,
for Edward was almost immediately after recognized as king by the
parliament assembled in London. The poet postpones this event,
and, after the imaginary interview of the second scene, brings us
to the great battle of Towton, which is thus described by Hall :
' This battle was sore fought, for hope of life was set on side on
every part, and taking of prisoners was proclaimed as a great
offence ; by reason whereof every man determined either to con-
quer or to die in the field. This deadly battle and bloody conflict
continued ten hours in doubtful victory, the one part sometime
flowing and sometime ebbing; but, in conclusion, King Edward
so courageously encouraged his men, refreshing the weary and
helping the wounded, that the other part was discomforted and
overcome, and, like men amazed, fled toward Tadcaster bridge to
save themselves. . . . This conflict was in manner unnatural, for
in it the son fought against the father, the brother against the
brother, the nephew against the uncle, and the tenant against his
lord.'"
Act III. — " The first scene exhibits the capture ^C \teccc^ MY.
174 Notes
upon his abandonment of his secure asylum in Scotland. Between
that period, 1464, and the accession of Edward, three years had
elapsed — years of unavailing struggle on the part of the Lancas-
trians. The capture of Henry is thus described by Hall : ' What-
soever jeopardy or peril might be construed or deemed to have
ensued by the means of King Henry, all such doubts were now
shortly resolved and determined, and all fear of his doings were
clearly put under and extinct. For he himself, whether he were
past all fear, or was not well stablished in his perfect mind, or
could not long keep himself secret, in a disguised apparel boldly
entered into England. He was no sooner entered but he was
known and taken of one Cantlowe, and brought toward the king,
whom the Earl of Warwick met on the way, by the king's com-
mandment, and brought him through London to the Tower, and
there he was laid in sure hold. Queen Margaret his wife, hearing
of the captivity of her husband, mistrusting the chance of her son,
all disconsolate and comfortless, departed out of Scotland and
sailed into France, where she remained with Duke Reyner her
father till she took her unfortunate journey into England again,
where she lost both husband and son, and also all her wealth,
honour, and worldly felicity.'
" In the second scene the poet, with great dramatic skill, exhibits
the course of that wooing which ended in the marriage of Edward
with Elizabeth Woodville — an event altogether unpropitious and
finally destructive to his house. Hall (whom we still follow, for
Holinshed is almost his literal copyist) tells the story with great
quaintness, and Shakspere clearly follows him: 'But now con-
sider the old proverb to be true that sayeth that marriage is des-
tiny. For during the time that the Earl of Warwick was thus in
France concluding a marriage for King Edward, the king, being
on hunting in the forest of Wichwood beside Stoney Stratford,
came for his recreation to the manor of Grafton, where the duchess
of Bedford sojourned, then wife to Sir Richard Woodville, Lord
Rivers, on whom then was attending a daughter of hers, called
Notes 175
Dame Elizabeth Grey, widow of Sir John Grey, knight, slain at
the last battle of St. Alban's by the power of King Edward. This
widow, having a suit to the king, either to be restored by him to
something taken from her, or requiring him of pity to have some
augmentation to her living, found such grace in the king's eyes
that he not only favoured her suit, but much more phantasied her
person ; for she was a woman more of formal countenance than
of excellent beauty, but yet of such beauty and favour that with
her sober demeanour, lovely looking, and feminine smiling (neither
too wanton nor too humble), beside her tongue so eloquent, and
her wit so pregnant, she was able to ravish the mind of a mean
person, when she allured and made subject to her the heart of so
great a king. After that King Edward had well considered all the
lineaments of her body, and the wise and womanly demeanour that
he saw in her, he determined first to attempt if he might provoke
her to be his sovereign lady, promising her many gifts and fair
rewards; affirming farther, that, if she would thereunto conde-
scend, she might so fortune of his paramour and concubine to be
changed to his wife and lawful bedfellow ; which demand she so
wisely and with so covert speech answered and repugned, affirming
that, as she was for his honour far unable to be his spouse and
bedfellow, so for her own poor honesty she was too good to be
either his concubine or sovereign lady ; that, where he was a little
before heated with the dart of Cupid, he was now set all on a hot
burning fire, what for the confidence that he had in her perfect
constancy, and the trust that he had in her constant chastity ; and
without any farther deliberation he determined within himself
clearly to marry with her, after that asking counsel of them which
he knew neither would nor once durst impugn his concluded pur-
pose. But the Duchess of York, his mother, letted it as much as in
her lay, alleging a precontract made by him with the Lady Lucy and
divers other lettes ; all of which doubts were resolved, and all things
made clear, and all cavillations avoided. And so, privily in a morn-
ing, he married her at Grafton, where he first phantasied her visage.'
176 Notes
"The contemporary historians, with one exception, make no
mention of the suit of Edward, through Warwick, for the hand
of the sister of the crafty Lewis XI. But the poet had ample
authority for the third scene of this act, in the relation of Hall,
which Holinshed also adopts: 'The French king and his queen
were not a little discontent (as I cannot blame them) to have their
sister first demanded and then granted, and in conclusion rejected
and apparently mocked, without any cause reasonable. But when
the Earl of Warwick had perfect knowledge by the letters of his
trusty friends that King Edward had gotten him a new wife, and
that all that he had done with King Lewis in his ambassage for the
conjoining of this new affinity was both frustrate and vain, he was
earnestly moved and sore chafed with the chance, and thought it
necessary that King Edward should be deposed from his crown
and royal dignity, as an inconstant prince, not worthy of such a
kingly office. All men for the most part agree that this marriage
was the only cause why the Earl of Warwick bare grudge and
made war on King Edward. Other affirm that there were other
causes, which, added to this, made the fire to flame which before
was but a little smoke.' "
Act IV. — "The defection of Clarence from the cause of his
brother has been worked up by the poet into a sudden resolve ; —
it was probably the result of much contrivance slowly operating
upon a feeble mind, coupled with his own passion for the daughter
of Warwick. What is rapid and distinct in the play is slow and
obscure in the Chronicles. Warwick and Clarence in the play are
quickly transformed into enemies to the brother and the ally ; in
the Chronicles we have to trace them through long courses of in-
trigue and deception. When Warwick possessed himself of the
person of Edward, it is difficult, from the contemporary historians,
to understand his real intentions. Hall, however, who compiles
with a picturesque eye, tells the story of his capture and release in
a manner which was not unfitted to be expanded into dramatic
effect : 'All the king's doings vtete. ty estate declared to the Earl
Notes 177
of Warwick, which, like a wise and politic captain, intending not
to lose so great an advantage to him given, but trusting to bring all
his purposes to a final end and determination by only obtaining
this enterprise, in the dead of the night, with an elect company of
men of war, as secretly as was possible, set on the king's field, kill-
ing them that kept the watch, and or the king were ware (for he
thought of nothing less than of that chance that happened), at a
place called Wolney, four miles from Warwick, he was taken pris-
oner, and brought to the castle of Warwick. And to the intent
that the king's friends might not know where he was, nor what was
chanced of him, he caused him by secret journeys in the night to
be conveyed to Middleham Castle in Yorkshire, and there to be
kept under the custody of the Archbishop of York his brother, and
other his trusty friends, which entertained the king like his estate,
and served him like a prince. But there was no place so far off
but that the taking of the king was shortly known there with the
wind, which news made many men to fear and greatly to dread,
and many to wonder and lament the chance. King Edward, being
thus in captivity, spake ever fair to the archbishop and to the other
keepers; but, whether he corrupted them with money or fair
promises, he had liberty divers days to go on hunting ; and one
day on a plain there met with him Sir William Stanley, Sir Thomas
of Borogh, and divers other of his friends, with such a great band
of men, that neither his keepers would nor once durst move him to
return to prison again.'
"In the beginning of 147 1 Edward was a fugitive, almost with-
out a home. The great Earl of Warwick had placed Henry again
in the nominal seat of authority ; a counter-revolution had been
effected. By one of those bold movements which set aside all cal-
culation of consequences-Edward leaped once more into the throne
of England. In an age when perjury and murder were equally re-
sorted to, Edward, on landing, did not hesitate to disguise his real
objects, and to maintain that he was in arms only to enforce his
claims as Duke of York. The scene befote, X^^s&s* d\o^\fc
3 HENRY VI — 12
178 Notes
quite borne out by the contemporary historians ; and especially in
that most curious Historic of the arrival of Edward IV. in Eng-
land, published by the Camden Society. Shakspere evidently
went to Hall as his authority : * King Edward, without any words
spoken to him, came peaceably near to York, of whose coming
when the citizens were certified, without delay they armed them-
selves and came to defend the gates, sending to him two of the
chiefest aldermen of the city, which earnestly admonished him on
their behalf to come not one foot nearer, nor temerariously to enter
into so great a jeopardy, considering that they were fully deter-
mined and bent to compel him to retract with dint of sword.
King Edward, marking well their message, was not a little troubled
and unquieted in his mind, and driven to seek the farthest point
of his wit ; for he had both two mischievous and perilous chances
even before his eyes, which were hard to be evaded or repelled : —
one was, if he should go back again he feared lest the rural and
common people, for covetousness of prey and spoil, would fall on
him, as one that fled away for fear and dread ; the other was, if he
should proceed any farther in his journey, then might the citizens
of York issue out with all their power, and suddenly circumvent
him and take him. Wherefore he determined to set forward,
neither with army nor with weapon, but with lowly words and
gentle entreatings, requiring most heartily the messengers that were
sent to declare to the citizens that he came neither to demand the
realm of England nor the superiority of the same, but only the
duchy of York, his old inheritance ; the which duchy if he might
by their means readopt and recover, he would never pass out of
his memory so great a benefit and so friendly a gratuity to him
exhibited. And so, with fair words and flattering speech, he dis-
missed the messengers ; and with good speed he and his followed
so quickly after, that they were almost at the gates as soon as the
ambassadors. The citizens, hearing his good answer, that he meant
nor intended nothing prejudicial to King Henry nor his royal au-
thority, were much mitigated and cooled, and began to commune
Notes 179
with him from their walls, willing him to convey himself into some
other place without delay, which if he did, they assured him that
he should have neither hurt nor damage. But he, gently speaking
to all men, and especially to such as were aldermen, whom he
called worshipful, and by their proper names them saluted,* after
many fair promises to them made, exhorted and desired them that,
by their favourable friendship and friendly permission, he might
enter into his own town, of the which he had both his name and
title. All the whole day was consumed in doubtful communication
and earnest interlocution. The citizens, partly won by his fair
words, and partly by hope of his large promises, fell to this pact
and convention, that if King Edward would swear to entertain his
citizens of York after a gentle sort and fashion, and hereafter to be
obedient and faithful to all King Henry's commandments and pre-
cepts, that then they would receive him into their city, and aid and
comfort him with money. King Edward (whom the citizens called
only Duke of York), being glad of this fortunate chance, in the
next morning, at the gate where he should enter, a priest being
ready to say mass, in the mass time, receiving the body of our
blessed Saviour, solemnly swearing to keep and observe the two
articles above mentioned and agreed upon, when it was far unlike
that he either intended or purposed to observe any of them, which
afterwards was to all men manifest.' "
Act V.~ "Of the battle of Barnet the following is Hall's de-
scription : —
" ' When the day began to spring the trumpets blew courageously
and the battle fiercely began. Archers first shot, and bill-men them
followed. King Edward, having the greater number of men, val-
iantly set on his enemies. The earl on the other side, remember-
ing his ancient fame and renown, manfully withstood him. This
battle on both sides was sore fought and many slain, in whose
rooms succeeded ever fresh and fresh men. In the mean season,
while all men were together by the ears, ever looking to which way
fortune would incline, the Earl of Warwick, aftet YcH^^c^^waaSc^
1 80 Notes
did perceive his men to be over pressed with the multitude of his
adversaries; wherefore he caused new men to relieve them that
fought in the forward, by reason of which succours King Edward's
part gave a little back (which was the cause that some lookers-on,
and no fighters, galloped to London, saying that the earl had won
the field), which thing when Edward did perceive, he with all dili-
gence sent fresh men to their succours.
" ' If the battle were fierce and deadly before, now it was crueller,
more bloody, more fervent and fiery, and yet they had fought from
morning almost to noon without any part getting advantage of
other. King Edward, being weary of so long a conflict and willing
to see an end, caused a great crew of fresh men (which he had for
this only policy kept all day in store) to set on their enemies, in
manner being weary and fatigate : but although the earl saw these
new succours of fresh and new men to enter the battle, being noth-
ing afraid, but hoping of the victory (knowing perfectly that there
was all King Edward's power), comforted his men, being weary,
sharply quickening and earnestly desiring them with hardy stom-
achs to bear out this last and final brunt of the battle, and that the
field was even at an end. But when his soldiers, being sore
wounded, wearied with so long a conflict, did give little regard to
his words, he, being a man of a mind invincible, rushed into the
midst of his enemies, where as he (aventured so far from his own
company to kill and slay his adversaries that he could not be
rescued) was in the middle of his enemies stricken down and slain.
The Marquis Montacute, thinking to succour his brother, which he
saw was in great jeopardy, and yet in hope to obtain the victory,
was likewise overthrown and slain. After the earl was dead his
party fled, and many were taken, but not one man of name nor of
nobility.'
"The most curious accounts, both of the battles of Barnet and
Tewkesbury, and indeed of all this rapid counter-revolution, which
has scarcely a parallel in our English annals, are to be found in a
contemporary narrative published \fj \Yl* Csu&d&TL Society, Neither
Notes 1 8 1
that narrative, nor the Ghent MS., which is an abridgment of it,
were probably accessible to Shakspere. We must therefore still be
content to trace him in Hall and Holinshed. The following
graphic account of the battle of Tewkesbury is from Hall : —
" ' After the field ended King Edward made a proclamation that
whosoever could bring Prince Edward to him, alive or dead, should
have an annuity of an c /. during his life, and the prince's life to be
saved. Sir Richard Croftes, a wise and a valiant knight, nothing
mistrusting the king's former promise, brought forth his prisoner
Prince Edward, being a goodly feminine and a well-featured young
gentleman, whom when King Edward had well advised, he de-
manded of him how he durst so presumptuously enter into his
realm with banner displayed. The prince, being bold of stomach
and of a good courage, answered, saying, To recover my father's
kingdom and inheritage from his father and grandfather to him,
and from him, after him, to me lineally divoluted. At which words,
King Edward said nothing, but with his hand thrust him from him
(or, as some say, stroke him with his gauntlet), whom incontinent
they that strode about, which were George Duke of Clarence, Rich-
ard Duke of Gloster, Thomas Marquis Dorset, and William Lord
Hastings, suddenly murdered and piteously mangled. The bitter-
ness of which murder some of the actors after in their latter days
tasted and essayed by the very rod of justice and punishment of
God. His body was homely interred with the other simple corpses
in the church of the monastery of Black Monks in Tewkesbury.
This was the last civil battle that was fought in King Edward's
days, which was gotten the iii day of May, in the x year of his
reign, and in the year of our Lord mcccclxxi then being Saturday*
And on Monday next ensuing was Edmund Duke of Somerset,
John Longstrother, Prior of Saint John's, Sir Garveys Clifton, Sir
Thomas Tresham, and xii other knights and gentlemen beheaded
in the market-place at Tewkesbury.'
" It is unnecessary for us here to enter upon the disputed ques-
tion as to whether Richard Duke of G\o%t« ^wett >&& *&a& tk»x-
1 82 Notes [Act i
derer of Henry VI. The following is Holinshed's account of this
event : —
" • Poor King Henry VI., a little before deprived (as we have
heard) of his realm and imperial crown, was now in the Tower
spoiled of his life by Richard Duke of Gloster (as the constant
fame ran), who, to the intent that his brother King Edward might
reign in more surety, murdered the said King Henry with a dag-
ger, although some writers of that time, favouring altogether the
house of York, have recorded that, after he understood what losses
had chanced to his friends, and how not only his son but also all
other his chief partakers were dead and despatched, he took it so
to heart, that of pure displeasure, indignation, and melancholy, he
died the three-and-twentieth of May. The dead corpse, on the
Ascension even (the 29th) was conveyed with bills and glaives
pompously (if you will call that a funeral pomp) from the Tower
to the church of St. Paul, and there laid on a bier, where it rested
the space of one whole day, and, on the next day after, it was con-
veyed, without priest or clerk, torch or taper, singing or saying,
unto the monastery of Chertsey, distant from London fifteen miles,
and there was it first buried ; but after, it was removed to Windsor,
and there in a new vault newly inhumulate.' "
ACT I
Scene I. — Edward, Prince of Wales, was born Oct. 14, 1453.
The Duke of York was Richard Plantagenet, who figures in the
preceding plays. The Duke of Norfolk was John Mowbray, fourth
Duke of Norfolk, the last male descendant of his race, and an im-
portant character in Rich. III. The Marquess of Montague was Sir
John Neville, son of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, and brother of the
" King-maker." The Earl of Oxford 'was John de Vere, thirteenth
Earl of Oxford, who is also a character in Rich. III. The Duke of
Somtrstt was Edmund Beaufort, iourtYi tulta&iyQkst <rt Somerset,
Scene I] Notes 1 83
and son of the Duke in 2 Hen. VI. The Duke of Exeter was
Henry Holland, son of John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, created
Duke of Exeter in 1445. The Earl of Northumberland 'was Henry
Percy, grandson of Hotspur, and succeeded to the title in 1455.
The Earl of Westmoreland was the second earl, and grandson of
the famous Ralph Neville, who figures in 1 and 2 Hen. IV. and
Hen. V. Edmund, Earl of Rutland, was the third son of the
Duke of York, born May 17, 1443, and seventeen years old when
killed by Clifford. George, Duke of Clarence, was the sixth son of
the Duke of York, born Oct. 21, 1449. He appears again in
Rich. III. The Earl of Pembroke was William Herbert, son
of Sir William Ap Thomas Herbert.
I. I wonder how, tic. White remarks: "This reference to the
last scene of the preceding Part is a mere dramatic contrivance to
establish an intimate connection between the two. Between the
battle of St. Alban's, with which the Second Part closes, and the
Parliament at which the ineffectual compromise between Henry VI.
and the Duke of York was made, five years elapsed : — the date of
the latter was 1460. Indeed, the reader of these plays must con-
stantly remember that he is not reading a chronicle, or even a his-
tory ; and that Shakespeare grouped the events of the reigns which
he undertook to illustrate with a single eye to dramatic effect."
7. Lord Clifford, etc. The account of Clifford's death here dif-
fers from that in 2 Hen. VI v. 2. 13 fol. That is from the Con-
tention, this from the True Tragedy.
8. Battle's. Army's ; as often. Cf. 15 just below ; also ii. 1. 121,
ii. 2. 72, etc.
9. By the swords of common soldiers. " The elder Clifford was
slain by York, and his son lives to revenge his death" (Mason).
II. Dangerously. The folio has "dangerous;" corrected by
Theobald from the old play. S. does not elsewhere use dangerous
as an adverb.
12. Beaver. Helmet. Cf. Rich. III. v. 3. 50. It was properly
the visor of the helmet ; as in Ham. \. 2, 23a, ete.
1 84 Notes [Act 1
16. Speak thou for me, etc. As Malone notes, Richard was only
a year old at the time of the first battle of St. Alban's, at which he
is represented as present (2 Hen. VI. v. 3), and only six years old
at this time. The anachronism is from the old play.
19. Hope. Capell reads "end," and Dyce "hap." The latter
may be right.
25. Fearful. Full of fear, timorous, cowardly ; as in 178 below.
34. Perforce. Rowe reads " by force," as in 29 above.
41. Henry. A trisyllable ; as often in this play and the preced-
ing. See 107 below, etc.
47. Shake his bells. An allusion to the little bells which were
attached to hawks. Cf. A. Y. L. iii. 3. 81 : "As the ox hath his
bow, sir, the horse his curb, and the falcon her bells," etc. See
also R. of L. 511: " With trembling fear, as fowl hear falcons'
bells." The bells were supposed to frighten the birds that were
hawked at.
62. Patience. Apparently a trisyllable here. Cf. patient in 215
below.
69. But when, etc. The folios give this to " Westm. ; " corrected
by Theobald (from the old play).
76. / am thine. Some read, with the old play, "Thou art
deceiv'd : I am thine."
78. The earldom. That of March, which he inherited from his
mother, and by which he claimed his title to the throne. The old
play has " the kingdom."
83. And that's Richard. The 1st folio omits and, which the 2d
supplies, and which is also in the old play.
93. Yes. Theobald has "No " (from the old play). As Clarke
remarks, you forget — you do not remember.
105. Thy. The folios have " My ; " corrected by Rowe. As
Malone notes, Richard's father was Earl of Cambridge, and never
Duke of York, having been beheaded while his elder brother,
Edward Duke of York, was still living. The error is taken from
the old play.
Scene I] Notes 185
107. I am the son of Henry the Fifth. "The military reputation
of Henry V. is the sole support of his son. The name of Henry V.
dispersed the followers of Cade" (Johnson).
1 10. Sith. Since. Cf. i. 3. 41 below.
1 14. Father, tear the crown. Hanmer reads " Tear the crown,
father," which improves the metre ; but there are many such met-
rical imperfections in this play.
120. Peace thou, etc. Some follow the old play in giving this
speech to Northumberland, but Henry now and then can speak
sharply.
133. Rebellion. A quadrisyllable.
139. Henry. A trisyllable. Cf. 41 and 107 above.
144. Crown. Johnson remarks that the meaning of the text
must be " detrimental to the general rights of hereditary royalty ; "
but he conjectures " son " for crown. Dr. Percy reminds him that
Richard II. had no son. Capell reads " the crown " (from the old
play).
164. Thy crown. The crown you wear. Some read " the crown."
170. Hear me. The me, omitted in the 1st and 2d folios, is
restored in the 3d folio from the old play.
186. Bands. Bonds; as often.
190. They seek revenge, etc. "they go away, not because they
doubt the justice of this determination, but because they have been
conquered and seek to be revenged. They are not influenced by
principle, but passion" (Johnson).
206. Sennet. A particular set of notes on the trumpet or
cornet.
My castle. Sandal Castle in Yorkshire, where the next scene is
laid. It was demolished by order of the Parliament in 1646, but
its ruins are still to be seen in the village of Sandal, about two
miles from Wakefield.
207. Soldiers. A trisyllable ; as in i. 2. 42 and iv. 3. 61 below.
211. Bewray. Betray, show; as in iii. 3. 97 below, Cf, Lear,
ii. 1. 100, m. 6. 1 8, etc,
1 86 Notes [Act i
212. Exeter % so will I. Pope reads " So, Exeter, will I." See on
114 above.
233. Given . . . suck head. A "horseman's phrase." Cf. T.
of S. i. 2. 249 ; " Give him head ; I know he '11 prove a jade."
See also Rick. II. iii. 3. 12.
234. As. That. Cf. Rick. III. iii. 4. 41, etc.
239. Faulconbridge. Thomas Nevil, natural son of William
Nevil, Lord Faulconbridge. He had been appointed vice-admiral
by Warwick, and had orders to guard the passage between Dover
and Calais, in order that no friends of King Henry might land in
England (Ritson).
For the narrow seas, cf. M. of V. ii. 8. 28 : —
" in the narrow seas that part
The French and English ; "
and Id. iii. 1. 4: "wracked on the narrow seas." See also iv. 8. 3
below.
245. Granted to. Assented to.
261. From tke field. The 1st folio has " to " for from; corrected
in the 2d. The old play also has from.
268. Coast. Watch and follow, or hover around, like a bird of
prey. The folio has " cost," which some retain (as = cost me), but
it does not suit the context. Steevens conjectures "cote" (see
Ham. ii. 2. 330); and Dyce "souse" (see K. Jokn v. 2. 150).
Hanmer has " truss." Empty — hungry ; as in K and A. $$ (see
next note) and 2 Hen. VI iii. 1. 248.
269. Tire on. Seize and feed on ravenously. Cf. V. and A.
5°:-
" Even as an empty eagle, sharp by fast,
Tires with her beak on feathers, flesh, and bone,
Shaking her wings, devouring all in haste,
Till either gorge be stufFd or prey be gone."
See also Cymb. iii. 4. 97.
270. Three lords. Northumberland, Clifford, and Westmore-
hmd, Cf. 183-18S above.
Scene n] Notes 187
272. Cousin. Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, was cousin-
german to the king, his grandfather John having married Elizabeth
Plantagenet, daughter of John of Gaunt by his first wife.
Scene II. — 6. Contention. A quadrisyllable.
10. Henry. A trisyllable. See on i. I. 41 above.
22. An oath is of no moment, etc. " The obligation of an oath
is here avoided by a very despicable sophistry. A lawful magistrate
alone has the power to exact an oath, but the oath derives no part
of its force from the magistrate. The plea against the obligation
of an oath obliging to maintain a usurper (taken from the unlaw-
fulness of the oath itself), in the foregoing play, was rational and
just" (Johnson).
43. Witty. Intelligent, sagacious. Cf. T. N. i. 5. 39: "Better
a witty fool than a foolish wit."
44. Resteth. Remains ; as in 1 Hen. VI. i. 3. 70 : " Nought
rests for me," etc. Cf. iv. 2. 13 and v. 7. 42 below.
47. Enter a Messenger. The folios have "Enter Gabriel?
which was probably the Christian name of an actor. There was a
player named Gabriel Spencer in Henslowe's company in 1598.
See on iii. 1 (first note).
48. Post? Haste ; as in iii. 3. 222 below.
49. The queen, with all the northern earls, etc. " I know not
whether the author intended any moral instruction ; but he that
reads this has a striking admonition against precipitancy, by which
we often use unlawful means to do that which a little delay would
put honestly in our power. Had York stayed but a few moments,
he had saved his cause from the stain of perjury" (Johnson).
50. Intend. A " confusion of construction ; " as in 1 Hen. VI.
iii. 2. 129. Pope reads "Intends."
68. Woman-general ! Most of the editors read " woman's gen-
eral," as the folio does. The text is due to White.
74. Whenas. Used sometimes for when, as whileas (2 Hen. VI.
i. 1. 225) for while, etc. Cf. ii. 1. 46 atk&N. *]. 7fc\*&sm +
1 88 Notes [Act I
Scene III. — i. His Tutor. "A prieste called Sir Robbert
Aspall" (Hall).
5. Whose. Referring to brat.
13. Devouring paws. Steevens remarks that paws is odd here ;
but cf. Milton, Lycidas, 128: —
" Besides what the grim wolf with privy paw
Daily devours apace."
26. Sufficient. A quadrisyllable. This lengthening seldom oc-
curs except at the end of a line, but there are several instances of
the exception in this play. See on i. 1. 133, 215, etc.
39. Ere I was born. Malone remarks : " Rutland was born, I
believe, in 1443 ; and Gifford's father was killed at the battle of
St. Alban's in 1455." The error is from the old play.
40. Thou hast one son. Henry, the hero of Wordsworth's Song
at the Feast of Brougham Castle.
41. Sith. See on i. 1. no above.
48. Dii facianl, etc. " The gods grant that this be the sum of
thy glory ! " As Steevens remarks, this is from Ovid's Epistle from
Phillis to Demophoon.
Scene IV. — 2. Uncles. Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer. Q.
i. 2. 62 above.
9. Make a lane. Cut his way through the enemy.
19. Budgd. Gave way, yielded the ground. Cf. v. 4. 66 below.
The folios have " bodgM," which some take to be = botched ; but
that does not suit the context. York does not mean that they
fought in a bungling way, but that the struggle was bootless on
account of the over-matching force opposed to them.
33. Phaethon. For the allusion, cf. Rich. II. Hi. 3. 178 and R.
andf. iii. 2. 3. See also ii. 6. 12 below.
34. Prick. Mark, dial-point. Cf. R. and f. ii. 4. 119: "the
prick of noon ; " and R. of L. 781 : " Ere he arrive his weary noon-
tide prick."
Scene IV] Notes 1 89
50. Buckle. Join in close fight ; as in I Hen. VI. i. 2. 95, iv. 4.
5, and v. 3. 28. The folios have " buckler ; " corrected by Theo-
bald. Hudson reads "buckle thee with blows," since he does "not
understand the meaning of 'buckle with thee blows ;'" but buckle
is no more a transitive verb than strive or struggle, and requires
with to complete the sense. Besides, buckle with thee is evidently
meant to jingle with bandy with thee. Of course it is not necessary
to consider blows the direct object of buckle. It is added as an an-
tithesis to word, but the construction (about which the writer of
course did not trouble himself) is not precisely the same. The ex-
pression is sufficiently justified by the analogy of " fight with thee
blow for blow," etc. Cf. ii. 5. 76 below : " I '11 aid thee tear for
tear." The grammatical license — if it be so regarded — is by no
means so bold as in making buckle transitive, with thee for its
object.
55. To prick. As to prick. For the ellipsis, cf. /. C. iii. 1. 40,
M. of V. iii. 3. 10, etc.
59. Prize. Warburton reads " praise ; " but prize here is the
" right " which the " might " of war gives. As Johnson says, " all
vantages are in war lawful prize." In ii. 1. 20 below some see a
similar use of prize ; but that is not so clear.
60. Impeach. For the noun, cf. C. of E. v. 1. 269: "why, what
an intricate impeach is this ! "
61. Gin. Snare ; as in T. N. ii. 5. 92, Macb. iv. 2. 35, etc.
68. Raught. The only form of the past tense of reach in S.
The participle reached occurs only in Oth. i. 2. 24.
73. Mess. Often used to denote a company of four. Cf. L. L. L.
iv. 3. 207, v. 2. 361, etc.
77. Mutinies. Contentions, conflicts ; as in L. L. Z. i. I. 170, etc.
79. Napkin. Handkerchief; as often.
84. Deadly. For the adverbial use, cf. Much Ado, v. 1. 178,
A. W. v. 3. 117, etc.
87. Stamp, rave, etc. In the folio this line is placed after 91 be-
low; but Malone saw that it belongs text, *& Va. \ka. ^ -$s«v
190 Notes [Act 1
White remarks : " The passage is taken bodily from the old version,
except that two new lines [90, 91] are added ; and these two lines
are added to make the transition from the allusion to York's tear-
less eyes to ' Thou wouldst be fee'd,' etc., less abrupt ; which inten-
tion the transposition of the line ' Stamp, rave,' etc., and the
interposition of it between the added lines and the remainder of
the passage, entirely defeats ; as, in that case, this line is isolated,
whereas in the old octavo, as will be seen in our text, it has a direct
relation to the one which immediately precedes it. The transposi-
tion was doubtless an accidental consequence of the alteration made
in the old text."
100. And broke, Hanmer reads " hath broke," but such ellipses
are not rare in S.
103. Pale. Enclose, encompass; as in A. and C, ii. 7. 74:
" Whate'er the ocean pales, or sky inclips."
106. Too, too. Some print " too-too," but the more emphatic
repetition seems better here ; as in Ham, i. 2. 129: "this too, too
solid flesh," etc.
108. Do him dead, Cf. 2 Hen. VI, iii. 2. 179: "who should do
the duke to death ? " See also ii. 1. 103 and iii. 3. 103 below.
114. Trull, Harlot, drab.
115. Captivates! Used in its original sense of make captive,
bring into bondage. Cf. Armado's use of it in L, L, L, iii. 1. 126:
" immured, restrained, captivated, bound."
116. Vizard-like, Like a vizard, or visor.
118. Assay. Try, attempt. Cf. Ham. iv. 7. 153: "T were bet-
ter not assay'd," etc.
121. Type, Badge, mark. Cf. Rich. Ill, iv. 4. 244 : " The high
imperial type of this earth's glory ; " where, as here, the crown is
meant.
122. Sicils, Sicilies ; as in v. 7. 39 below. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. i.
1.6.
127. Horse, Apparently to be regarded as a plural. See p.
i6j above.
Scene I] Notes 191
129. God he knows. Cf. K. John, v. 7. 60, Rich. III. iii. 1. 10,
26, iii. 7. 235, etc.
132. Government. Self-control ; as in 1 Hen. IV. i. 2. 31, iii.
I. 184, Oth. iii. 3. 256, etc.
136. Septentrion. North (Latin septenlrio) ; used by S. only
here. Cf. Milton, P. R. iv. 31 : " From cold septentrion blasts ; "
the only instance in which he uses the word.
137. O tiger's hearty etc. See p. 12 above.
142. Obdurate. Regularly accented on the second syllable by S.
146. The rain begins. Cf. T. and C. iv. 4. 55 : " rain to lay
this wind." See also R. of L. 1788, Macb. i. 7. 25, and ii. 5. 85
below.
150. Passion moves. The 1st folio has "passions moves," and
the 2d "passions move." The text is that of the Cambridge ed.
152, 153. The lines are arranged as by Warburton from the old
play. In the folios they form three lines, ending with his, touch'd,
and blood. The passage is perhaps corrupt, but no satisfactory
emendation has been proposed. For with blood the 2d folio has
" the roses just with blood."
155. Tigers of Hyrcania. Cf. Macb. iii. 4. 101 : " the Hyrcan
tiger." Hyrcania was a Persian province.
169. To all. Capell reads " of all," and in the next line " could "
for should (both from the old play).
171. Inly. Inward ; as in T. G. of V. ii. 7. 18 : " the inly touch
of love."
172. Weeping-ripe. Ripe or ready for weeping ; as in L. L. L.
v. 2. 274. Cf. sinking-ripe in C.ofE.x. 1. 78.
ACT II
Scene I. — 9. Resolved. Satisfied; as in ii. 2. 124 below.
10. Is become. That is, what has become of him. Cf. iv. 4. 25
below. See also Spenser, F. Q. i. 10. 16: " the deare Charissa,
where is she become ? "
192 Notes [Actn
14. Neat. Neat or horned cattle. Cf. W. T. i. 2. 125 : —
" the steer, the heifer, and the calf
Are all call'd neat"
20. Pride. The folios have " prize ; " corrected by Warburton
from the old play. Some would make " prize " = privilege, com-
paring i. 4. 59 above; but this does not seem to me a parallel
case. Besides, the line is taken bodily from the old play ; and, as
White remarks, " it is impossible to believe that S., in doing this,
changed intentionally a word with a good and pertinent significa-
tion for one for which, in its present connection, no proper mean-
ing can be found."
22. Takes her farewell, etc. " Aurora takes for a time her fare-
well of the sun when she dismisses him to his diurnal course "
(Johnson) ; or " when she leaves him to take her place " (Clarke).
24. Trimm'd like a younker, etc. Cf. I Hen. IV. iii. 3. 92 :
" Will you make a younker of me ? " Most editors read younker
in M. of V. ii. 6. 14.
25. Three suns. This is from the chroniclers. See p. 173
above.
27. Racking. Floating like rack (see Ham. ii. 2. 506) or float-
ing cloud; the only instance of the verb in S. Malone quotes
Edw.III.: —
" like inconstant clouds
That, rack'd upon the carriage of the winds,
Increase," etc.
36. Meeds. Merits ; as in iv. 8. 38 below.
46. Whenas. See on i. 2. 74 above.
48. 0, speak no more, etc. " The generous tenderness of Ed-
ward and savage fortitude of Richard are well distinguished by
their different reception of their father's death" (Johnson).
51. The hope of Troy. Hector. Cf. iv. 8. 25 below.
82. Selfsame. The very. Hanmer reads " th* selfsame."
83. Fires. A dissyllable. Ca.pe.YL te^ds " fae," and "burn" in
Scene I] Notes 193
the next line. It would be better to change coals to " coal," as the
Cambridge editors suggest, if any change were called for ; but the
relative often takes a singular verb, though the antecedent is plural.
91. Bird, Eaglet. For its use for a young bird, cf. 1 Hen, IV,
v. 1. 60 : "the cuckoo's bird." See also T, A. ii. 3. 154.
92. Show thy descent by gazing 'gainst the sun. It was a very
ancient belief that the eagle was the one bird that could gaze un-
dazzled at the sun. Pliny says that it exposes its brood to this test
as soon as they are hatched, to prove if they are genuine or not.
Chaucer refers to the belief in his Parlement of Foules ; as Spenser
does in the following fine passage from the Hymn of Heavenly
Beauty : —
" Mount up aloft through heavenly contemplation,
From this darke world, whose damps the soule do blynd,
And, like the native brood of Eagles kynd
On that bright Sunne of Glorie fixe thine eyes,
Clear'd from grosse mists of fraile infirmities."
95. Fare. Luck, fortune ; as in A". John, v. 7. 35 : " ill fare ; "
the only other instance of the noun in S.
99. Thy words would add, etc. Cf. Much Ado, ii. 1. 255 : " She
speaks poniards, and every word stabs ; " and Ham, in. 2. 414 : "I
will speak daggers to her."
103. Done to death. See on i. 4. 108 above.
106. Silh, See on i. 1. no above.
no. Depart, For the noun, cf. iv. 1. 92 below.
113. And very well appointed, etc. This line is omitted in the
folios; restored by Steevens from the old play. As the whole
speech is reproduced almost without change, the omission was
probably accidental. For well appointed ( = well equipped), cf.
Hen. V, iii. chor. 4.
116. Advertised. Regularly accented by S. on the second
syllable. Cf. iv. 5. 9 and v. 3. 18 below.
124. Heated spleen. Ardent impetuosity. C£. Rich,' III»^*-v
3 henry vi — 13
194 Notes [Act n
350 : " Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons," etc. Warbur-
ton changes heated to " hated," spoiling the antithesis with coldness.
130. The night-owl 1 s lazy flight Yarrell {British Birds) says
that the flight of owls " is easy and buoyant, but not rapid. "
131. Idle. The folios have "lazy ; " corrected by Capell (from
the old play). White retains " lazy."
140. Marches, Borders, border country ; as in Hen. V. i. 2. 140.
141. Making another head. Gathering another force. Cf. the
play on head in 1 Hen. IV. i. 3. 284 : " to save our heads by rais-
ing of a head," etc.
146. Your kind aunt. Isabel, daughter of John I., King of
Portugal, by Philippa of Lancaster, eldest daughter of John of
Gaunt : she was therefore third cousin to Edward instead of aunt.
The George, referred to in 143, was at this time in his twelfth year,
and Richard was in his ninth.
150. Retire. Retreat ; as in K.John, ii. 1. 326, v. 5. 4, etc.
169. Haught. Haughty. Cf. Rich. II. iv. I. 254 and Rich. III.
ii. 3. 28.
170. Moe. More ; used only with a plural or collective noun.
182. Via! An interjection of encouragement (Italian), lit-
erally = away ! Amain is omitted in the folios ; restored by
Theobald from the old play.
190. FaiPst. Changed by Steevens to "fall'st." The old play
has "faints."
191. For ef end. Forbid; as in W. T. iv. 4. 541, Rich. II. iv. I.
129 (in quartos; "forbid" in folios), etc.
207. Puissant. A dissyllable ; as elsewhere. Cf. v. 1. 6 and v.
2. 31 below. The noun puissance is either dissyllahic or trisyl-
labic in S.
209. Sorts. Suits, is well. Cf. T. and C.\. 1. 109 : —
11 this woman's answer sorts,
For womanish it is to be from thence."
Lines 205-209 are not in the old ^\«j.
Scene II] Notes 195
Scene II. — 6. Irks, Is irksome to, annoys. Cf. 1 Hen. VI
i. 4. 105 : " It irks his heart he cannot be reveng'd," etc.
8. Nor wittingly. Nor purposely.
10. Harmful. Hanmer reads " harmless," but harmful is con-
sistent with the preceding too much.
19. Level. Aim. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 286 : " the foeman may
with as great aim level at the edge of a penknife," etc.
30. Fearful. Timorous. See on i. 1. 25 above. The folio has
"with" for in (from the old play).
38. Fondly. Foolishly; as in K.John, ii. 1. 258 : "But if you
fondly pass our proffer'd offer," etc.
44. Inferring. Bringing forward, adducing. Cf. iii. I. 49
below.
46. Bad success. A bad issue. Cf. Rich. III. iv. 4. 236 : " dan-
gerous success," etc.
47. Happy always was it, etc. " Alluding to a common prov-
erb : ' Happy the child whose father went to the devil ' " (John-
son). The folios make the sentence an assertion, but it is a
question in the old play, as the context requires it to be.
57. Soft courage. The editors have been in doubt how to ex-
plain this, and Collier reads "soft carriage" (the conjecture of
Mason). Schmidt, Clarke, and Hudson make courage = heart,
disposition ; and it certainly may have that sense, though White
says that no instance of it has been found. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. ii.
5. is —
" Disleall Knight, whose coward corage chose
To wreake it selfe on beast all innocent"
Ascham, in his Toxophilus t speaks of " having a faint hart or cour-
age." White takes the word to be here = encouragement : " the
queen means to say that the king's tame replies to her and to Clif-
ford are poor encouragement to those who are fighting his battles."
Soft courage seems to me simply = soft kind of courage, or weak
courage. Cf. iv. 1. 12 below : '* so vreaV ol wax%%<t %" ^ "****
196 Notes [Actn
similar expression, whether courage have its ordinary sense or
be = heart.
64. Apparent That is, heir-apparent; as, figuratively, in
W. T. i. 2. 177 : —
" Next to thyself and my young rover, he *s
Apparent to my heart"
66. Toward, Forward, bold. Elsewhere it is opposed to fro-
ward ; as in T. of S. v. 2. 182, etc.
72. Darraign your battle, " That is, range your host, put your
host in order " (Johnson). Cf. Spenser, F. Q. i. 4. 40 : " Re-
doubted battaile ready to darrayne ; " Id. L 7. 1 1 : u Did to him
pace sad battaile to darrayne ; " and Id. iii. 1. 20 : —
" On which she saw six knights, that did darrayne
Fiers battaile against one with cruell might and mayne."
Steevens cites Guy Earl of Warwick, 1661 : " Darraign our bat-
tles, and begin the fight." The old play has " Prepare your bat-
tels." Darraign occurs nowhere else in S.
89. Since when, etc. The 1st folio gives lines 89-92 to " Cla.,"
and the old play to " George ; " but in 92 " his brother " is altered
to "me," which shows that S. intended the whole to belong to
Edward. In the old play the passage reads thus : —
" George. Since when he hath broke his oath,
For as we heare you that are king
Though he doe weare the Crowne,
Haue causde him by new act of Parlement
To blot our brother out, and put his owne son in."
97. Sort. Set, crew; contemptuous; as in 1 Hen. VI. ii. 1.
167, etc.
112. Clifford. Capell reads "Clifford there" (from the old
play).
Scene II] Notes 197
124. Resolved. Satisfied, convinced. See on ii. 1. 9 above.
133. Whoever got thee, etc. The folios give this to " War."
but the reply of the queen shows that the old play is right in
assigning it to Richard.
134. Wot. Know; used only in the present tense and the
participle wotting, for which see W. T. iii. 2. 77.
136. Stigmatic. One branded by nature with the stigma of
deformity. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. v. I. 215, where the term is also
applied to Richard. These are the only instances of the word in
S., but stigmatieal is used in the same sense in C. of E. iv. 2. 22.
138. Venom toads. Cf. A. Y. L. ii. 1. 13: "the toad, ugly and
venomous." Rowe reads " venomous ; " but we have four other
instances of venom as an adjective in S. The lizard's sting is
equally fictitious.
141. Channel. Kennel, gutter. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. ii. 1. 52 : "throw
the quean in the channel."
142. Extraught. Elsewhere the participle is extracted; but cf.
distraught in Rich. III. iii. 5. 4 and R. and J. iv. 3. 49. The old
play has " derivM."
143. Detect. Expose, betray.
144. A wisp of straw. Malone and others have shown by quo-
tations from writers of the time that scolds and strumpets were
sometimes made to wear a wisp of straw on their heads as a mark
of disgrace.
145. Callat. Drab, harlot. Cf. W. T. ii. 3. 90 or Oth. iv. 2. 121.
147. Menelaus. That is, a cuckold like him. Steevens com-
pares T. and C. v. 1. 61, where Thersites calls Menelaus "the
primitive statue and oblique memorial of cuckolds."
162. Age. Generation ; as often.
172. Deniest. The folio has "denied'st;" corrected by War-
burton from the old play. The reference is to what Margaret has
said in 1 18 above.
173. Our bloody colours. Cf. Hen. V. i. 2. 101 : "your bloody
198
Notes [Act n
Scene III. — 1. Forspent, Exhausted ; as in 2 Hen. IV. i. 1.
37 : " almost forspent with speed," etc. The old play has " Sore
spent."
5. Spite of spite. Cf. K.John, v. 4. 5 : "In spite of spite," etc.
15. Thy brother's blood. A half-brother who does not appear in
the play — an illegitimate son of Salisbury.
27. Look upon. That is, are mere spectators. Cf. W. T. v. 3.
100 : " all that look upon with marvel," etc.
37. Thou setter-up, etc. Cf. Daniel, ii. 21 : " He removeth
kings and setteth up kings." In Hi. 3. 157 below, Margaret calls
Warwick " Proud setter-up and puller-down of kings," and some
have supposed that Warwick is addressed here ; but the latter
part of the passage ought to make it clear that it is a prayer to
the Deity.
43. In earth. Pope reads " on earth ; " but cf. V. and A. 143,
M.for M. ii. 4. 50, etc. See also Matthew, vi. 10.
56. Forslow. Delay; used by S. only here. Steevens quotes
The Battle of Alcazar, 1594: "Why, King Sebastian, wilt thou
now foreslow?" and Marlowe, Edw. II.: "Foreslow no time;
sweet Lancaster, let 's march." Cf. Spenser, F. Q. iv. 10. 15 : " But
by no meanes my way I would forslow," etc.
Scene IV. — 12. Some other chase. Some other game. Cf.
2 Hen. VI. v. 2. 14: —
" Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chase ;
For I myself must hunt this deer to death."
Scene V. — 1. This battle fares, etc. Verplanck remarks:
" Henry's soliloquy certainly has more of the poet's manner about
the date of Much Ado About Nothing than of his earlier style. Yet
the character of Henry is just as well marked in the old play as in
the enlarged one, as well as the incidents of the unhappy son and
father: —
' Hen. O gracious God of heaven, look down on us,
And set some ends to these mceasaxa gre&.
Scene V] Notes 199
How like a mastless ship upon the seas
This woeful battle doth continue still,
Now leaning this way, now to that side driven,
And none doth know to whom the day will fall.
Oh, would my death might stay these civil jars !
Would I had never reign 'd, nor ne'er been king.
Margaret and Clifford chide me from the field,
Swearing they had best success when I was thence.
Would God that I were dead, so all were well ;
Or would my crown suffice, I were content
To yield it them, and live a private life.' "
3. Blowing of his nails. Cf. L. L. L. v. 2. 923 : —
11 When icicles hang by the wall,
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail."
Whether the shepherd blows his fingers because they are cold or
because he has nothing to do, the commentators are not agreed ;
but I have no doubt that here and in* L. L. L. the former is the
meaning. In T. of S. i. 1. 109, the other sense is clear enough.
24. Quaintly. Curiously, fancifully. Cf. M. of V. ii. 4. 6, etc.
26. Hour. A dissyllable, as below in several lines. Cf. fires in
ii. I. 83 above.
36. Ean. Theobald reads " yean," which means the same. Cf.
M. of V. i. 3. 88 : " in eaning time."
37. Years. Changed by Rowe to " months ; " but the reference
probably is to the years that must elapse before the lambs just
eaned can be shorn. For poor fool as an expression of pity or
tenderness, cf. Much Ado, ii I. 3, 26, A. Y. Z. ii. I. 22, etc.
38. Days, months. Rowe (followed by some editors) reads
plausibly " days, weeks, months." As the text stands, days may be
a dissyllable.
43. Silly. Harmless, innocent. Cf. V. and A. 1098 :" the silly
lamb ; " R. of L. 167 : "the silly lambs," etc.
51. Delicates. Delicacies; the only instance of the noun in S.
Johnson remarks : " This speech is mo\an&\\ «s& v&V «*s$c£«&£c*
200 Notes [Act n
suited to the character of the king, and makes a pleasing inter-
change, by affording, amidst the tumult and horror of the battle,
an unexpected glimpse of rural innocence and pastoral tranquillity."
Verplanck adds : " There are some verses preserved of Henry VI.
which are in a strain of the same pensive, moralizing character.
The reader may not be displeased to have them here subjoined,
that he may compare them with the congenial thoughts the poet
has attributed to him : —
' Kingdoms are but cares;
State is devoid of stay ;
Riches are ready snares,
And hasten to decay.
• Pleasure is a privy [game,]
Which vice doth still provoke ;
Pomp unprompt ; and fame a flame;
..Power a smouldering smoke.
1 Who meaneth to remove the rock
Out of his slimy mud,
Shall mire himself, and hardly scape
The swelling of the flood.' "
57. Possessed with. Cf. K. John, iv. 2. 9 : "possess'd with double
pomp ; " 1 Hen. VI. v. 4. 138 : —
" 'T is known already that I am possess'd
With more than half the Gallian territories," etc.
Possessed of is more common in S.
62. Unwares. An old form of unawares, but not found else-
where in S.
77. And let our hearts, etc. " The king intends to say that the
state of their hearts and eyes shall be like that of the kingdom in a
civil war; all shall be destroyed by power formed within them-
selves " (Johnson) ; or " let our hearts and eyes, like ourselves in
civil war, be self-destructive" (Clarke).
$2. Our focmaris fact ? TYve. feet ol oikft. ol w» fcwaaetu
Scene V] Notes 201
86. Blown with the windy tempest, etc. Cf. i. 4. 145 above.
89. Stratagems. Dreadful deeds. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. i. 1. 8, M. of
V. v. I. 85, etc.
92, 93. O boy . . . too late. The old play reads : —
" Poore boy thy father gaue thee lif too late,
And hath bereau'de thee of thy life too sone,"
which Hanmer and Capell followed ; but, as the Cambridge editors
remark, this "merely transfers the difficulty of explanation from
one line to another." White says : " The passage seems to be quite
inexplicable. Warburton, who was the first to comment upon it,
was of the opinion that, in the reading of the folio, ' gave thee life
too soon ' meant, ' because, had he been born later, he would not
have been of years to engage in this quarrel,' and that ' bereft thee
of thy life too late ' meant, * he should have done it by not bringing
thee into being.' Henley, adopting the same view of the former
phrase, explains the latter, 'had the father recognized him before
the fatal blow, it would not have been too late to have saved [to
save] him from death.' Malone and Steevens consider ' too late '
to mean recently ; and such may have been the sense in which it
was used. There may be some readers to whom these explanations
will be satisfactory ; I am far from being sure that they would have
been so to Shakespeare. And yet he may possibly have written
the passage as it stands in the octavo, and have changed it to the
reading of the folio. This I am the more inclined to believe since
my discovery of the following line, in a speech of Andromache con-
cerning Hector, in Heywood's translation of Seneca's Troas, 1581,
with which Shakespeare was familiar : * O sonne begot too late for
Troy, but borne too soone for me.' It is at least not improbable
that the line in The True Tragedy was a reminiscence of this one,
and that, on the revision and rewriting of that play, the ineffectual
change was made, hastily and without sufficient thought, in the
hope of improving the passage." Hudson thinks that too soon
may be = " too gladly, too willingly " and too late = " \.w> wastf^?
202 Notes [Act n
For the latter, he compares Rich. III. iii. I. 99: "Too late he died
that might have kept that title." Cf. also R. of L., 1801 : —
" I did give that life
Which she too early and too late hath spill'd."
On the whole, Henley's explanation is the least unsatisfactory that
has been proposed — which is the best that can be said for it.
95. Ruthful. Piteous ; as in Rich. III. iv. 3. 5 : " ruthful
butchery," etc.
100. Prcsenteth. Represents ; as often.
104. Take on. Fret, get angry ; as in M. W. iii. 5. 40, iv. 2.
22, etc.
108. Misthink. Misjudge ; as in A. and C. v. 2. 176 : "mis-
thought For things that others do."
118. Obsequious. Lavish of obsequies. Cf. Ham. i. 2. 92 : "ob-
sequious sorrow," etc.
119. E'en. The folios have "Men" or "Man ;" corrected by
Capell.
123. Overgone. Overcome ; found in S. only here.
126. Chafed. Infuriated. Cf. T. A. iv. 2. 138 : "the chafed
boar," etc.
130. Fearful. Frightened. Cf. ii. 2. 30 above.
Scene VI. — 8. The common people, etc. This line, omitted in
the folios, was restored by Theobald from the old play. Line 17
below, which Capell omits, and which has no counterpart in the
old play, is probably, as White suggests, the result of the acci-
dental transposition of the present line, and its subsequent altera-
tion by the players or the printers to fit it to its new place.
12. Phaethon. See oni. 4. 33 above.
19. Mourning widows for our death. That is, widows mourning
for our death. Cf. 56 below.
28. Effuse. The only instance of the noun in S.
30. Split my breast. Cf. Lear, v. 3. 177 : " Let sorrow split my
heart." See also Rich, HI. \. 3. 300 an& A. and C, n % \. iv
Scene VI] Notes 20J
36. Argosy, A large merchant ship. Cf. M. of V. i. 1. 9, i. 3.
18, iii. I. 105, etc.
42. Whose sou/, etc. The folios give this to " Rich." together
with what follows to See who it is, inclusive ; assigning only the
remnant of 44, 45 to " Ed." As White remarks, this must be cor-
rupt, "as it makes Richard ask who it is that groans, and give
directions to see who it is, and comply with his own command and
answer his own question." The arrangement in the text is that of
the old play, restored by Capell.
43. Departing. Parting, separation. Cf. K. John, ii. I. 563,
etc.
49. But set his. A " confusion of construction."
56. To our house. These words modify fatal. See on 19 above.
67. Which. Changed by Pope to "As;" but such . . . which
occurs repeatedly in S.
68. Eager words. " Sour words ; words of asperity" (Johnson).
Cf. Rich. II. i. 1. 49 : "The bitter clamour of two eager tongues."
For the literal use of the word (=sour), see Ham. i. 5. 69 :
" eager droppings into milk."
75. Fence. Defend ; as in iii. 3. 98 below.
82. This hand should chop. Capell reads " I 'd chop " (from the
old play).
91. Sinew. Firmly bind ; the only instance of the verb in S.
Cf. insinewed in 2 Hen. IV. iv. 1. 172.
96. Coronation. Metrically five syllables. See on i. 2. 6 above.
Cf. 108 and 1 10 below.
100. In thy shoulder. The 2d folio has " on" for in; but the
latter is often found where we should expect the former. Cf. " in
the neck " in 1 Hen. IV. iv. 3. 92, etc.
105. Him pleaseth. It pleases him.
107. Too ominous. " Alluding, perhaps, to the deaths of Thomas
of Woodstock and Humphrey, Dukes of Gloster" (Steevens).
204 Notes [Act in
ACT III
Scene I. — Enter two Keepers, The folios have "Enter Sinklo,
and Humfrey" As Sinklo is the name of an actor, mentioned in
T. of S. ind. I and in 2 Hen. IV. v. 4, it is probable that Humfrey
is the name of another actor — perhaps, as Malone suggests, Hum-
phrey Jeaffes, who is mentioned in Henslowe's Diary. See also on
i. 2. 47 above.
2. Laund. Lawn, glade ; as in V. and A. 813 : "And home-
ward through the dark laund runs apace."
9. For. In order that. Cf. iii. 2. 154 below.
11. Self. Same. Cf. C. ofE. v. 1. 10 : "that self chain," etc.
14. Wishful. Wistful, longing.
17. Balm. Consecrated oil. Cf. Rich. II. iii. 2. 55 : —
" Not all the water in the rough rude sea
Can wash the balm from an anointed king.*'
24. Sour adversity. The folios have " the sower Adversaries ; "
and Pope reads " these sour adversities." The text is Dyce's.
40. Tainted with remorse. Touched with pity. Cf. 1 Hen. VI.
v. 3. 183 : " Never yet taint with love," etc. For remorse = pity,
cf. v. 5. 64 below.
47. That. So that ; as often.
49. Inferreth. See on ii. 2. 44 above.
55. Thou, that taWst. The folios have "thou talk'st," and the
old play " thou that talkes." The text is Rowe's.
60. In mind. Malone suggests that there may be an allusion to
the old song, " My mind to me a kingdom is."
82. Breathe, a man. Some omit the comma. Cf. Rich. III.
iii. 5. 26 : " That breath'd upon this earth a Christian."
97. And the king's. Rowe reads " and in the king's," which is
plausible.
Scene II. — 2. John. The folios and the old play have " Rich-
ard ; " corrected by Pope from Hall. The metre favours the
emendation.
Scene II] Notes 205
3. His lands then seted, etc. Malone remarks : "This is, in
every particular, a falsification of history. Sir John Grey fell in the
second battle of St. Alban's, fighting on the side of King Henry ;
and so far is it from being true that his lands were seized by the
conqueror (Queen Margaret), that they were in fact seized by King
Edward, after his victory at Towton (1461). The present scene
is laid in 1464. Shakespeare followed the old play in this instance ;
but when he afterwards had occasion to mention this matter, in
writing Richard HI., he stated it truly, as he found it in the chron-
icles. In act i. scene 2 of that play, Richard, addressing himself to
Queen Elizabeth (the Lady Grey of the present scene), says : —
• In all which time you and your husband Grey
Were factious for the house of Lancaster ; —
And, Rivers, so were you : — was not your husband
In Margaret's battle at Saint Alban's slain ? ' "
14. Keeps the wind. That is, keeps the scent. Cf. A. W. iii. 6.
122 : "this same coxcomb that we have i' the wind." See also
Ham, iii. 2. 362, etc.
19. Resolve. Satisfy, give me an answer. See on ii. 1. 9 above.
24-33. I f ear • • • **& widow's wit. Like 36-50 below, an
example of stichomythia, or dialogue in alternate lines. Cf. T. G.
of V, i. 2. 20-32, Rich. III. iv. 1. 343-367, etc.
24. Fear. Fear for. Cf. Rich. III. i. 1. 137 : " his physicians
fear him," etc.
32. //. Referring to Lady Grey's suit. Cf. v. 7. 40 below.
68. If I aim. If I guess, or conjecture. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. ii. 4.
58 : "thou aimest all awry," etc.
72. Honesty. Chastity ; as often. Cf. M. W. i. 3. 55, ii. 1.
88, ii. 2. 75, etc.
77. Sadness. Seriousness. Cf. the adjective in no below.
107. Hath done his shrift. Has heard the confession and
granted absolution. Cf. M. for M. iv. 2. 223, etc.
108. For shift. For a cunning purpose. The 3d folio has " for
a shift," which was the more common exptes&taxi.
206 Notes [Act in
109. Muse. Wonder. Cf. King John, iii. 1. 317 : "I muse
your majesty doth seem so cold," etc.
112. To whom, etc. The 1st folio has "To who," but the old
play, like the later folios, To whom.
114. A day longer, etc. Cf. A. Y.L. iii. 2. 185 : "I was seven
of the nine days out of the wonder before you came," etc.
122. Apprehension. Metrically five syllables.
123. Honourably. The 1st folio has " honourable," which is
sometimes found as an adverb (cf. /. C. v. 1. 60, T. and C. ii. 2.
149, etc.) ; but here the reply shows that honourably is the word,
as in the old play.
124. Ay, Edward will use women honourably, etc. Verplanck
remarks : " This soliloquy is strongly impressed with all the
peculiar characteristics of our great poet, and especially with his
power of developing character ; giving us a bold and distinctly
marked outline of the approaching Richard III. Yet this is but the
enlargement of a similar and brief soliloquy of Gloster, in the old
play — containing the same thoughts, less powerfully and vividly
brought out. I think there are but few readers who will not agree
with me, that the author of the original young Gloster must be also
the author of the full-grown Richard III. ; for, if the old Conten-
tion be not Shakespeare's, he owes to its author not only the
groundwork of Henry VI., but the whole character of Richard. To
my mind, this soliloquy, as it stands in the old play, is alone con-
clusive of Shakespeare's authorship, and of his sole paternity of the
character. The reader will judge for himself : —
4 Glo. Ay, Edward will use women honourably.
Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and all,
That from his loins no issue might succeed,
To hinder me from the golden time I look for :
For I am not yet look'd on in the world I
First is there Edward, Clarence, and Henry,
And his son, and all they look for issue
Of their loins, ere 1 can p\wc\\ m>j**W.
^\\
Scene n] Notes 207
A cold premeditation for my purpose !
What other pleasure is there in the world beside?
I will go clad my body in gay ornaments,
And lull myself within a lady's lap,
And witch sweet ladies with my words and looks.
monstrous man, to harbour such a thought !
Why, love did scorn me in my mother's womb ;
And, for I should not deal in her affairs,
She did corrupt frail nature in the flesh,
And plac'd an envious mountain on my back,
Where sits deformity to mock my body ;
To dry mine arm up like a wither'd shrimp ;
To make my legs of an unequal size.
And am I then a man to be belov'd ?
Easier for me to compass twenty crowns.
•' Tut, I can smile, and murder when I smile ;
cry content to that which grieves me most ;
1 can add colours to the chamelion ;
And for a need change shapes with Proteus,
And set the aspiring Catiline to school.
Can I do this, and cannot get the crown ?
Tush, were it ten times higher, I '11 pull it down.' H
129. Buried. A trisyllable.
131. UnlooUd for issue. The old play has "lookt for issue,"
which some editors follow, on the ground that Gloster refers to the
children that might reasonably be expected ; but counting babies
before they are born is uncertain, as in the case of chickens before
they are hatched.
139. Lade, Bail, as with a ladle; the only instance of the verb
in S. Cotgrave defines bacqueter as "to lade, or draine a river, or
other water, with pailes, or buckets."
143. Flattering me. Flattering myself. Pope reads " Flatt'ring
my mind with things impossible."
154. For. In order that. Cf. iii. 1 . 9 above.
161. An unlicPd dear-whelp. RefettVn^, as ^tamfe. \ss**^n»
208 Notes [Act m
the old opinion that " the bear brings forth only shapeless lumps
of animated flesh, which she licks into the form of bears."
1 66. To overbear, etc. Johnson observes : " Richard speaks here
the language of nature. Whoever is stigmatized with deformity
has a constant source of enmity in his mind, and would counter-
balance by some other superiority those advantages which he feels
himself to want. Bacon remarks that the deformed are commonly
daring ; and it is almost proverbially observed that they are ill-
natured. The truth is, that the deformed, like all other men, are
displeased with inferiority, and endeavour to gain ground by good
or bad means, as they are virtuous or corrupt."
170. Until my mis-shap'd trunk, etc. The editors have not
been willing to let this alone, though it is probably what S. wrote.
Hanmer, for instance, reads " Until the bead this mis-shap'd trunk
doth bear," and Steevens conjectures " Until my head that this
mis-shap'd trunk bears."
171. Impaled. Enclosed, encircled. Cf. iii. 3. 189 below, and
pale in i. 4. 103 above.
175. Rends. The folios have "rents," which is an old form
of the word and might be retained here. Cf. Macb. iv. 3. 168,
M. N. D. iii. 2. 215, etc.
185. Occasions. A quadrisyllable. See on i. 2. 6 above.
186. Mermaid. Siren ; as elsewhere in S. Cf. C. of E. iii. 2.
45, 169, M. N. D. ii. 1. 150, etc.
187. Basilisk. The fabled monster that was supposed to kill by
a glance. Cf. Hen. V. v. 2. 17, Cymb. ii. 4. 107, etc.
190. Sinon. The artful Greek who persuaded the Trojans to
take the wooden horse into their city. Cf. Cymb. iii. 4. 61, R. of L,
1521, 1529, etc.
192. Proteus. The marine god who had the power of changing
his shape at pleasure. The meaning is, " advantageously compete
with Proteus in changing shapes " (Clarke) .
193. Machiavel. An anachronism, of course, but none the less
substituted deliberately by S. fot " \.Yve *s^\xm£ Catiline " of the old
Scene m] Notes 209
play. Cf. M. W. iii. 1. 104 and 1 Hen. VI v. 4. 74. The allusion
nras a familiar one in the poet's day.
Scene III.— 11. Seat. Walker conjectures "state," but the
lhange is hardly called for.
25. Of a king. From being a king; or, as Abbott gives it
{Grammar, 171), "instead of" a king.
26. Forlorn. Not elsewhere used substantively by S., and rarely
found before his day or since.
44. What 's he. Who is he that Cf. iv. 3. 28 below.
46. Welcome, brave Warwick, etc. Ritson remarks: "This
nobleman's embassy and commission, the insult he received by the
king's hasty marriage, and his consequent resolution to avenge it,
with the capture, imprisonment, and escape of the king (Edward),
Shakespeare found in Hall and Holinshed ; but later, as well as
earlier writers, of better authority, incline us to discredit the whole,
and to refer the rupture between the king and his political creator
to unknown causes, or to that jealousy and ingratitude too natural
to those who are under obligations too great to be discharged.
There needs no other proof how little our common histories are to
be depended on, than this fabulous story of Warwick and the Lady
Bona. The king was privately married to the Lady Elizabeth
Woodville, in 1463 ; and in February, 1465, Warwick actually stood
sponsor to the Princess Elizabeth, their first child."
57. Marriage. A trisyllable.
78. Injurious. Insolent. Cf. Cor. iii. 3. 69, Cymb. iv. 2. 86,
etc.
81. Disannuls. Disregards, ignores.
82. The greatest part of Spain. This is an error, not taken from
Holinshed. Gaunt accomplished little .in Spain. The writer may
have seen an old play, known only from Henslowe's Diary, entitled
The Conquest of Spayne by John A Gant.
90. Henry. A trisyllable. See on i. 1. 41 above.
93. Silly. Poor, petty.
3 HENRY VI — 14
aio Notes [Act in
94. To make prescription for. To establish a prescriptive right
or claim to.
96. Thirty and six years. The old play has " thirtie and eight,'
which, as Malone remarks, is the correct number.
97. Bewray. Betray. Cf. i. 1. 21 1 above.
98. Fence. Defend ; as in ii. 6. 75 above.
99. Buckler. Shield, defend ; as in 2 Hen. VL iii. 2. 216 and
T. ofS. iii. 2. 241.
103. Done to death. See on i. 4. 108 above, and cf. ii. 1. 103.
124. Eternal. Perennial. The folios have " externall" or "ex-
ternal ; " corrected by Warburton from the old play.
127. Envy. Perhaps = hatred, malice ; as often. Steevens says :
" His situation places him above these, though it cannot secure him
from female disdain." Clarke thinks the meaning to be that " the
strength of Edward's love secures it from exciting the French
princess's hatred, though not, perhaps, from incurring her disdain."
Johnson suggests that it may mean " that his love is superior to
envy, and can feel no blast from the lady's disdain." No one of
these explanations is quite satisfactory.
154. You have a father able, etc. "This seems ironical The
poverty of Margaret's father is a very frequent topic of reproach "
(Johnson).
156. Warwick. The reading of the 1st folio ; the 2d (followed
by some editors) has " Warwick, peace."
157. Proud setter-up and puller -down of kings. See on ii. 3. 37
above.
160. Conveyance. Artifice, fraud. Cf. 1 Hen. VI. i. 3. 2: "Since
Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance." See also on iv. 6. 81
below.
171. News? Used by S. both as singular and plural.
175. Soothe. "Act in conformity with" (Schmidt). According
to Baret, the word meant " to countenance a falsehood, or forged
tale ; to uphold one in his talke, and affirme it to be true which he
speaketh"
Scene I] Notes 211
187. His death. He was in fact taken at the battle of Wake-
field by the Lancastrians, and subsequently beheaded by them at
Pomfret.
188. The abuse done to my niece* Holinshed says: "Other
affirm other causes [of Warwick's defection] and one speciallie,
for that King Edward did attempt a thing once in the earles house
which was much against the earles honestie (whether he would
have defloured his daughter or his neece, the certainty was not for
both their honours openlie revealed) for surelie such a thing was
attempted by King Edward."
189. Impale. See on iii. 2. 171 above.
191. Guerdoned. Rewarded ; as in 2 Hen. VI. i. 4. 49.
204. Soldiers. A trisyllable ; as in i. 1. 207 and i. 2. 42 above.
222. In post. In haste. Cf. i. 2. 48 above.
226. Fear. Affright. Cf. v. 2. 2 below.
228. The willow garland. On the willow as the emblem of un-
happy lovers, cf. iv. 1. 100 below.
230. Put armour on. It was no unusual thing for queens to
appear in armour at the head of their armies. A suit worn by
Elizabeth is still to be seen in the Tower of London.
242. Mine eldest daughter. It was Anne, Warwick's second
daughter, whom Edward married. Theobald reads " my younger
daughter."
252. Lord Bourbon. Louis, Count of Roussillon, a natural son
of Charles, Duke of Bourbon, and grandson of John, Duke of
Bourbon in Hen. V.
260. Stale. Laughing-stock, butt. Cf. T. of S. i I. 58, C. of E.
ii. 1. 101, etc.
ACT IV
Scene I. — Enter King Edward, etc. "Collier remarks the
particularity of the stage-directions in this play, in the folio (1623).
Here we have the addition of words to ttan Vow >fofc \swM0^n8i.
212 Notes [Act IV
characters were to be ranged on the stage : * Four stand on one
side, and four on the other.' The attendants were probably to
retire to the back of the scene, and were supposed to be out of
hearing : there were nine principal persons present, viz., the King,
the Queen, Gloster, Clarence, Somerset, Montague, Pembroke,
Stafford, and Hastings. The King was therefore to stand in the
middle, with ' four on one side and four on the other ' "(Verplanck).
8. / mind. I have a mind, or mean. Cf. 64, 106, and 140 below.
12. Weak of courage. Wanting in courage or spirit. See on
ii. 2. 57 above.
13. Abuse. Deception of them. Cf. Ham. iv. 7. 51, etc. The
verb is often = deceive.
17. And shall. Rowe reads "And you shall."
41. But the safer. The 2d folio has "Yes, but." "But then,"
" Ay, but," and " But yet " have also been conjectured. It is easy
enough to tinker the defective measure of the play, if one chooses
to do it.
53. The brother, etc. Anthony Woodville, made Lord Rivers in
1469.
56. You would not have bestovfd ike heir, etc. Till the Restora-
tion the heiresses of great estates were in the wardship of the king,
who in their minority gave them up to plunder, and afterwards
married them to his favourites (Johnson).
57. Your new wife's son. Sir Thomas Grey, made Marquess of
Dorset.
63. Broker. Agent, negotiator.
70. Not ignoble. Her father was Sir Richard Woodville, after-
wards Earl of Rivers ; and her mother Jaqueline, Duchess Dow-
ager of Bedford, daughter to Peter of Luxembourg, Earl of St
Paul (Malone).
73. Dislikes. Some change this to " dislike," and others Doth
in the next line to "Do ;" but see R. and J. prol. 8, etc. Some
call it " the old third person plural in -th."
92. Depart. See on ii. 1. 110 atoavt.
Scene in] Notes 213
103. In place. Present. Cf. iv. 6. 31 below.
104. My mourning-weeds are done. My mourning garments
are done with, or laid aside. Cf. iii. 3. 229 above.
118. The elder. Theobald transposes elder and younger. See
on iii. 3. 242 above.
119. Sit you fast. A popular phrase, meaning " Look to your-
self." Cf. v. 2. 3 below.
140. Mind. See on 8 above.
142. Suspect. For the noun (used by S. some dozen times), cf.
Rich. III. i. 3. 89, iii. 5. 32, etc.
Scene II. — 2. By numbers swarm. Pope reads "swarm by
numbers."
3. Comes! Rowe reads "come ;" but a singular verb is often
found with two singular nominatives.
4. Suddenly. Quickly.
12. Sweet Clarence. Pope reads "sweet friend," and Capell
omits sweet.
13. Coverture. Covert, shelter. Cf. Much Ado, iii. 1.30: "in
the woodbine coverture." For rests, see on i. 2. 44 above.
15. Towns. The folios have "towne" or "town;" corrected
by Theobald.
20. Sleight and manhood. Craft and bravery.
21. The Thracian fatal steeds. The oracle had declared that
Troy could not be taken if the horses of Rhesus once drank of the
Xanthus and grazed on the Trojan plains. The Greeks therefore
sent Diomede and Ulysses to intercept the Thracian prince when
he came to bring help to Priam ; and they killed him on the night
of his arrival, and carried off the horses. The story is told in the
Iliad (x.). See also Ovid, Met. xiii. and Virgil, dincid, i. 469 foL
Scene III. — 2. Is set him down. Has set himself down.
19. Doubted. Suspected, feared ; as often.
22. Enter Warwick, etc. Collier notices the alteration of the
old play in the conduct of this scene, as &<wrix^\ta. «fc«s&R. «ss*-
214 Notes [Act iv
plicity of the stage just before Shakespeare's time : " In the older
play, Warwick, Oxford, and Clarence, aided by a party of soldiers,
standing on one part of the stage, concert a plan for surprising
Edward IV. in his tent, on another part of the stage. Having
resolved upon the enterprise, they merely cross the boards to
Edward's encampment, the audience being required to suppose
that the assailing party had travelled from their own quarters in
order to arrive at Edward's tent. Shakespeare showed his superior
judgment by changing the place, and by interposing a dialogue
between the watchmen who guard the king's tent."
28. What are they, etc. Who are they, etc. See on iii. 3. 44
above.
31. The case is alter 3 d. The expression had become proverbial.
Jonson later took it as the title of a comedy.
32. Etnbassade. Used by S. only here. Capell reads " embas-
sage" (from the old play).
38. Brotherly. For the adverbial use, cf. A. Y. L.i. 1. 162 and
Cymb. iv. 2. 158.
44. Complices. Not to be printed as an abbreviation of accom-
plices. Cf. Rich. II. ii. 3. 165, iii. 1. 43, etc.
48. For his mind. As regards his mind, in his own mind.
55. Tell what answer. Pope reads "tell you what reply,"
Capell " tell his grace what answer," Dyce " tell him there what
answer ; " and so on. The line could be eked out in a dozen other
ways, if one had the itch of " emendation." White very sensibly
remarks : " This verse is imperfect, and a word of one or two syl-
lables has probably been lost. They are not necessary to the sense,
however, and there is no justification or ground for the attempts
which have been made to restore them."
Scene IV.— 16. Life's. The folios have "lives;" corrected
by Rowe.
19. Passion. A trisyllable. See on i. 2. 6 above. Rowe, not
understanding this, reads " in my pas&\oiv."
Scene IV]
Notes
215
22. Bloodsucking sighs. Alluding to the old notion that each
sigh cost the heart a drop of blood. Cf. M. N. D. iii. 2. 97,
Ham. iv. 7. 123, Much Ado, iii. 1. 78, etc.
25. Is . . . become. See on ii. t. 10 above.
The Sanctuary at Westminster
31. The sanctuary. The sanctuary at Westminster, for which
see Rich. III. ii. 4. 66, 73, iii. 1. 42, iv. 1. 94, etc. The cut is from
a drawing made before the destruction of the building in 1775.
It stood where Westminster Hospital now stands (then within the
precincts of the Abbey), and retained its privileges as a refuge for
criminals until the dissolution of the monastery, and for debtors
until 1602. Elizabeth fled thither in 1470, when with her mother
and her three daughters she was the guest of Abbot Milling until
the birth of her son Edward, Nov. 1 of that year. She took refuge
there again at the time referred to in Rich. III. The open space
to the west of the Abbey is still called BtoaA ^tt&cta&xv
2i 6 Notes [Act iv
Scene V.—Middleham Castle. This castle was at Middleham,
in Yorkshire, and its remains are still to be seen on a rocky emi-
nence near the town. Tradition says that it was destroyed by
Cromwell, but there is no historical record to that effect. Edward
gave the castle to his eldest brother, the Duke of Gloster, after-
wards Richard III. Here Richard Plantagenet was born, and
here, according to Stow, the Bastard of Faulconbridge (cf. i. i. 239
above) was beheaded.
9. Advertised. For the accent, see on ii. 1. 116 above.
21. Skip. The 1st folio has " shipt," which White thinks might
be retained, " the full reply being, « We shall go to Lynn, and shall
be shipped from thence to Flanders.' "
Scene VI. — 5. Thy due fees ? Cf. W. T. i. 2. 52 : —
" Force me to keep you as a prisoner,
Not like a guest ; so you shall pay your fees
When you depart, and save your thanks."
Lord Campbell remarks that, whether guilty or innocent, the pris-
oner was liable to pay a fee on his liberation — a procedure that
" could hardly be known to any except lawyers, or those who had
themselves actually been in prison on a criminal charge."
6. Challenge. Claim ; as in iv. 7. 23 below.
11. My imprisonment. Pope drops my, and Hudson reads
" prisonment ; " but there are countless similar examples of the light
extra syllable in the line.
29. Temper with the stars. Yield to destiny, act in conformity
with their fortune.
31. In place. Present. See on iv. 1. 103 above.
55. Be confiscate. The first folio omits be, which Malone sup-
plied. The 2d folio has " confiscated," which S. never uses. The
accent is generally on the first syllable, but sometimes on the second,
as in Cymb. v. 5. 323 : " And let it be confiscate all, so soon," etc.
67. Young Henry. This boy, then in his tenth year, was son to
Edmond Tudor, Earl of Richmond, fctvd 'Ntat^ptck., daughter to
Scene VII] Notes 217
John Beaufort, first Duke of Somerset. He afterwards became
Henry VII.
81 • Convey* d. Carried off, kidnapped. Cf. the cant use of convey
= steal ; as in M. W. i. 3. 32, Rich. II. i v. I. 317, Cymb. i. 1. 63, etc.
See also on convey ance t iii. 3. 160 above.
82. Attended him. That is, were waiting for him.
Scene VII. — 8. Ravenspurg (also called Ravensburg, Ravens-
purn, etc.) was an important port at the mouth of the Humber,
sheltered from the sea by the point now known as Spurn Head. In
1346 it had suffered so much from the inroads of the sea that the
merchants residing there removed to Hull The high tides of 1357
and subsequent years swept away nearly all that remained of the
town, and but few vestiges of the ancient port could have been
left at the time of Bolingbroke's landing. In 1 471, Edward IV.
also landed here, after his brief exile in Holland. In the town of
Hedon, a few miles distant, there still stands a beautiful old cross,
which is believed to have been erected at Ravenspurg in memory
of the landing of Bolingbroke. To prevent its destruction by the
sea, it was first removed to Kilnsea, and again in 181 8 to Burton
Constable, whence it was in 1832 taken to Hedon.
13. Abo dements. " Bodements " (7*. and C. v. 3. 80 and Macb.
iv. 1. 96), or bad omens ; used by S. only here. Cf. aboding in v.
6. 45 below.
23. Challenge. Claim ; as in iv. 6. 6 above.
30. Captain. A trisyllable (= capitain). Cf. Macb. i. 2. 34.
Spenser (F. Q. ii. n. 14) has "And evermore their wicked Capi-
tayn ;" and, again {Id. vi. 11. 3), "That he which was their Capi-
taine profest."
32. Long of . Along of ; but not to be printed "'long of " as it
often is. " The mayor is willing we should enter, so he may not be
blamed" (Johnson).
57. Pretend. Assert. Cf. its use = mean, intend; as in Macb.
ii. 4. 24, etc.
21 8 Notes [Act iv
61. Scrupulous wit! "Policy that too scrupulously weighs
chances" (Clarke).
64. Bruit, Report, rumour, as in T. and C. v. 9. 4, etc. Cf.
Jeremiah, x. 22.
80. Horizon. Apparently accented on the first syllable; the only
instance of the word in S. The same accent is found in Chaucer
and other early writers.
82. Wot, Know. See on ii. 2. 134 above.
83. How evil it beseems. How ill it becomes. For the adverb-
ial evil, cf. Hen. VIII. i. 2. 207 : " evil us'd."
Scene VIII.— Enter . . . Exeter. The folios give " Somerset?
who had gone with Richmond to Brittany. The correction is due
to Capell.
2. Hasty. Rash, or passionate ; as blunt = rough, reckless, as in
v. 1. 86 below. See also V. and A. 884 : " the blunt boar, rough
bear," etc.
3. The narrow seas. The English Channel. See on i. 1. 239
above.
6. Let 'j levy men, etc. " Dr. Johnson remarked that this line ex-
presses a warlike spirit unsuitable to the character of Henry ; and
Malone, for this reason, and because in the old version the second
speech is given to Oxford, assigned this line to him — an arrange-
ment very generally followed to this day. But this line does not
appear in any form in the old play, where Oxford's speech is : —
• 'T is best to look to this betimes,
For if this fire do kindle any further
It will be hard for us to quench it out'
It will be seen that in the revised play the second and third lines
are made the basis of the two-line speech assigned to Clarence,
while for the first the line is substituted which is assigned to King
Henry. And although it is so bellicose, and not improbably should
be assigned to Oxford or some other lord, or made a part of Gar-
ence's speech, under these cuc\ixa5tex\K&* VJa& O&ax^w^aldiiot be
Scene vm] Notes 219
justifiable" (White). I am inclined to agree with Collier, who
says : " It is not inconsistent with the other speeches of the King in
this scene, who seems by the intelligence to have been roused, at
least in the commencement, to an unusual degree of energy."
8. Suffer 3 d. Allowed to burn. Cf. V. and A. 388: —
" Affection is a coal that must be cool'd ;
Else, suffer'd, it will set the heart on fire."
25. Troy's true hope. Cf. ii. 1. 51 above.
37. Doubt. Fear. Cf. the verb in iv. 3. 19 above.
38. Meed. Merit ; as in ii. 1. 36 above.
40. Posted off. Put off hastily or carelessly. Cf. " posted over "
in 2 Hen. VI. iii. 1. 255, and " o'erposting" in 2 Hen. IV. i. 2. 171.
43. Water-flowing. Flowing like water, copious ; changed by
some to "bitter-flowing." Cf. furnace-burning in ii. I. 80 and
wind-changing in v. 1. 57.
46. Forward of. Eager for.
51. Shout within, * A Lancaster, a Lancaster* Some adopt the
conjecture of Johnson, " A York ! a York ! " but, as White remarks,
" it was part of Edward's plan that his soldiers should shout * Long
live King Henry ! ' "
52. Seize on the shame- fac^d Henry, etc. Verplanck remarks:
" This line is from the old play, and the epithet of ' shame-fac'd,'
so portrait-like of the timid and fearful king, so characteristic of
the speaker, so like Shakespeare's own manner of portraiture, is
enough to counterbalance a hundred small criticisms, and to stamp
these scenes as from his hands — even if other matters remind us
that it was but ' the 'prentice's hand.' "
59. Now remains. As Mason remarks, Warwick has but just
left the stage to go to Coventry (cf. 32 above), and Edward could
hardly be supposed to know of his intention.' Cf. the "time-
analysis " of the play in the Appendix.
60. The sun shines hot, etc. That is, we must " make hay while
the sun shines."
220 Notes [Act V
ACT V
Scene I. — 3. Dunsmore. Dunsmore Heath is about half-way
between Daventry and Coventry.
6. Daintry. Daventry. Cf. 1 Hen. IV. iv. 2. 51. Daintry is
still the local pronunciation.
16. Trumpet Trumpeter; as in T. and C. iv. 5.6: "Thou
trumpet, there's my purse," etc. Parle = parley ; as in K. John, ii.
1. 205, etc.
18. Unbid. Unwelcome; accented on the first syllable because
coming before the noun. Cf. unborn in Rich. II. ii. 2. 10, unbound
in R. and J. i. 3. 87, etc. Sportful = licentious. Cf. T. of S. ii. 1.
263 : " let Kate be chaste, and Dian sportful."
20. His repair ? His repairing or coming hither. Cf. Ham. v.
2. 228 : " then repair hither," etc.
32. Do thee service. Become thy servitor.
36. Atlas. The only allusion in S. to the world-sustaining giant
44. Deck ! Pack of cards. White remarks that " the word was
in use even in the eighteenth century." It is not unknown now
among card-players in this country.
45. The bishop's palace. " The palace of the Bishop of London "
(Malone).
48. Take the time. Improve the opportunity.
49. Nay, when ? For when ? as an exclamation of impatience, cf.
Temp. i. 2. 316, Rich. II. i. 1. 162, etc.
52. To strike. As to strike it. See on i. 4. 55 above.
68. Buy. That is, pay for. Cf. M. N. D. Hi. 2. 426: "you
shall buy this dear," etc.
73. Two of thy name. Edmund, slain at the battle of St. Alban's,
1455 ; and Henry, his son, beheaded after the battle of Hexham,
1463 (Ritson).
81. Taking the red rose out of his hat. The stage -direction is
not in the folios, but was supplied \yy C^^ivimNkfe. old ^lay.
Scene II] Notes 221
83. Ruinate. Cf. R. of L. 944: "To ruinate proud buildings ;"
Sonn. 10. 7 : " Seeking that beauteous roof to ruinate," etc.
84. Lime. "Cement" (Johnson); the only instance of this
meaning in S.
85. Trow'st thou. Thinkest thou ; as in 2 Hen. VI. ii. 4. 38, etc.
86. Blunt. See on iv. 8. 2 above.
91. Jephthd's, etc. Set Judges, xi. 30 fol. Cf. Ham. ii. 2. 422.
106. Passing. Surpassing, egregious ; as in T. G. of V. i. 2.
17: "a passing shame," etc.
no. / will away towards Barnet, etc. According to Hall,
Edward, finding that Warwick would not come out, withdrew
towards London. Warwick pursued and overtook him at Barnet.
He could not know that the battle would occur there. Probably,
however, Warwick in mentioning Barnet refers only to the direc-
tion he was going, not to the place where he expected to overtake
Edward. Herford calls the passage " unintelligible," but it does
not seem so to me.
Scene II. — 2. A bug that fear* d. A bugbear that frightened.
Cf. T. of S. i. 2. 211 : " Tush, tush ! fear boys with bugs," etc. In
Psalms, xci. 5, Coverdale's and some other early versions have
" Thou shalt not nede to be afraid for any Bugges by nighte." For
fear, see also on iii. 3. 226 above.
13. Ramping. Rampant. Cf. 1 Hen. IV. iii. 1. 153: "a ramp-
ing cat," etc.
14. Overpeer'd. Looked down upon. Cf. 1 Hen. VI. i. 4. n :
" In yonder tower to overpeer the city," etc. Jove's tree is the oak,
which was sacred to him.
26. But my body's length. Cf. Rich. II. iii. 2. 152 : —
" And nothing can we call our own but death,
And that small model of the barren earth
Which serves as paste and cover to our bones."
See also A. Y, L. ii. 6. 2 : "Here lie I down and measure out
my grave."
222 Notes [Act V
44. Clamour. The folios misprint "cannon;" corrected by
Warburton from the old play.
45. Might. The folios have "mought," which the Cambridge
editors retain. The form is still in vulgar use.
Scene III. — 5. Sun. Alluding to the heraldic cognizance of
the king. Cf. Rich. III. i. 1. 2: " this sun of York."
8. Arriv'd. For the transitive use, cf. /. C. i. 2. 1 10 : " But ere
we could arrive the point propos'd," etc. Steevens quotes Milton,
P. L. ii. 409 : —
" ere he arrive
The happy isle."
14. Valued. Reckoned, estimated.
18. Advertised. For the accent, see on ii. 1. 116 above.
21. Rids way. Gets rid of distance, or annihilates it.
Scene IV. — Enter Queen Margaret, etc. This scene is greatly
amplified from that in the old play, which stands thus, except that
the spelling is modernized : —
" Queen. Welcome to England, my loving friends of France.
And welcome Somerset and Oxford too.
Once more have we spread our sails abroad,
And though our tackling be almost consum'd,
And Warwick as our mainmast overthrown,
Yet, warlike lords, raise you that sturdy post
That bears the sails to bring us unto rest,
And Ned and I, as willing pilots should,
For once with careful minds guide on the stern,
To bear us through that dangerous gulf
That heretofore hath swallow'd up our friends.
Prince. And if there be (as God forbid there should)
Amongst us a timorous or fearful man,
Let him depart before the battles join,
Lest he in time of need entice another,
And so withdraw the soldiers' hearts from us.
/ will not stand aloof andbid^ow fc^nx,
Scene V] Notes 223
But with my sword press in the thickest throngs,
And single Edward from his strongest guard,
And hand to hand enforce him for to yield,
Or leave my body as witness of my thoughts.
Oxf. Women and children of so high resolve,
And warriors faint ! why 't were perpetual shame.
Oh, brave young prince, thy noble grandfather
Doth live again in thee ; long mayst thou live
To bear his image, and to renew his glories.
Som. And he that turns and flies when such do fight,
Let him to bed, and like the owl by day
Be hiss'd and wonder'd at if he arise."
2. Ckeerly. Cheerfully. Cf. A. Y. L. ii. 6. 14, Rich. II. i. 3.
66, etc.
9. To t/tat which hath too much. Cf. A. Y. L. ii. 1. 48 : —
" giving the sum of more
To that which hath too much."
18. Tacklings? A trisyllable.
24. As good, etc. We have nothing to gain by offers of submis-
sion, and may as well defy them at once. They will show us no
more mercy than the ruthless sea does to the ship in peril.
27. Ragged. The folios have " raged ; " corrected by Rowe.
Ragged is often = rugged.
34. If case. If it be the case. The 4th folio has " in case,"
which some adopt, but if case occurs often in writers of the time.
42. Naked. Without armour. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. iii. 2. 234 :
"naked, though lock'd up in steel," etc.
71. Wot. Know. See on ii. 2. 134 above.
Scene V. — 1. Period. End; as often.
2. Hames. The spelling of the folios and the old play. Rowe
reads " Hammes," Hanmer " Holmes," and Delius " Ham's." The
castle meant is that of Ham in Picardy, the same in which Louis
Napoleon was confined for six years. The present fortress was
built in 1470 on the site of an earlier one etecXeA YtCTurc&NA wife.
224 Notes [Act v
16. Turrid me to? Put me to. Cf. Temp. i. 2. 64: "the teen
that I have turn'd you to."
24. Breech. Breeches ; the only instance of the singular in S.
Cf. 2 Hen. VI. i. 3. 149: "Though in this place most master wear
no breeches."
25. jEsop. A hit at Richard's' deformity. The old fabulist is
said to have been hunch-backed.
Verplanck remarks here : " There is little alteration in this scene
from the old play, where the high spirit of the young Prince, and
the brief but strongly marked notices of the other characters, are
given with a truly Shakespearian effect. It is, too, well worthy of
remark that the fine and animated dramatic effect and personal
interest obtained by young Edward's there exhibiting the courage
and spirit of his mother, without her vices, instead of his appearing
to inherit the meek virtues of his father, is quite original in this
play ; there being no part of his character, in this respect, in the
old historians."
26. Sort. Suit, agree. See on ii. 1. 209 above. Currish rid-
dles = fables about beasts. There may be a play on currish =
malicious.
31. Charm your tongue. Stop your tongue, as by a charm or
spell. Cf. Oth. v. 2. 183, Much Ado, v. 1. 26, etc.
50. The Tower! the Tower! The folios omit the first The;
supplied by Capell.
56. In respect. In comparison with him. Cf. /. C i. 1. 10:
"Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but a cobbler."
63. You have no children, etc. Verplanck remarks: "This is
from the old play, which has 'You have no children, devils!*
Judge Blackstone notes that the poet repeats the same thought in
Macduff's lament for his murdered children. This is done with the
same sort of variation which Shakespeare is wont to use in repeat-
ing a favourite thought, and indicates at least, if it does not abso-
lutely prove, that he was using his own original materials. The
speech stands thus in the o\d p\ay, eKWQfc. m^elUn.^: —
Scene VI] Notes 225
' Queen, Ah, Ned, speak to thy mother, boy :
Ah, thou canst not speak.
Traitors, tyrants, bloody homicides,
They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all,
For he was a man ; this, in respect a child ;
And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
What 's worse than tyrant that I may not name ?
You have no children, devils, if you had
The thought of them would then have stopp'd your rage :
But if you ever hope to have a son,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off,
As, traitors, you have done this sweet young prince.* "
64. Remorse. Pity. See on iii. 1. 40 above.
67. Have rid. Have made way with, have destroyed. Cf. v. 3.
21 above.
75. Thou usest. You are accustomed.
77, 78. The 1st folio reads : —
" Where is that diuels butcher Richard t
Hard fauor'd Richard f Richard, where art thou ? "
which is followed substantially by the other folios. The first
Richard is clearly accidental, as the old play shows.
Hudson following Theobald thinks it necessary to read " devil-
butcher," as deviVs butcher "is kill-devil;" and he adds, "rare
news for the free thinkers, if there were any grounds for depending
on it ! " Johnson remarks that devil *s butcher (which is the read-
ing of the old play also) " is a butcher set on by the devil," which
would be superfluous information if the expression had not been
criticised. Hard-favour* d •=. hard-featured, ugly. Cf. Rich, II. v.
1. 14, Hen. V. iii. 1. 8, etc.
84. All in post. All in haste. Cf. iii. 3. 222 above.
86. Sudden. Hasty, rash.
Scene VI. — 10. Roscius. Cf. Ham. ii. 2. 410 : " When Roscius
was an actor in Rome — ." Hanmer reads " Richard," which War-
burton had suggested on the ground that Roscius was a comedian ;
3 HENRY VI — 15
226 Notes [Act v
but Steevens cites many contemporaneous references to him as a
tragedian. Malone adds the evidence of Quintilian, who says of
him, " hie tragoedias egit."
13. Lirrfd. Ensnared with bird-lime. Cf. T. N. Hi. 4. 82,
Ham. iii. 3. 68, etc.
14. Misdoubteth. Suspects, distrusts. Cf. M. W.\\. 1. 192: "I
do not misdoubt my wife," etc.
15. Male to one sweet bird. That is, father of one sweet child.
16. Object That is, the bush, to which he compares Richard.
This explains also the following Where.
18. Peevish. Childish, silly ; the most common meaning in S.
In the old play the passage reads thus : —
" Why, what a foole was that of Creete ?
That taught his sonne the office
Of a birde, and yet for all that the poore
Fowle was drownde."
For the allusion to Dadalus, cf. I Hen. VI. i. 4. 77.
26. Not with words ! Cf. ii. 1. 99 above.
34. Presumption. A quadrisyllable. See on i. 2. 6 above.
38. No parcel of my fear. " No part of what my fears presage "
(Johnson).
39, 40. And many . . . eye. Hudson omits these two lines,
believing that " the first writing and the correction intended as a
substitute for it both got jumbled in together."
41. Fate. This word and the following And are not in the 1st
folio, but are supplied by the 2d. White remarks : "The lines
here are irregular in the old version, and appear to have been
carefully rewritten on the revision; and the construction of the
two preceding lines, to which these two parenthetical lines are
plainly intended to conform, warrants the emendation."
45. Aboding. Boding; as in Hen. VIII. i. I. 93. Cf. abode-
ments in iv. 7. 13 above.
47. RooVd her. Squatted herself. Collier quotes The Fardle
of Fashions, 1555 : "After a. mooste coxa&Vj iratte she rucketh
Scene VII] Notes 227
downe upon the grounde, not muche unlike the sitting of our
gentlewomen oftentimes here in England."
48. Discord. The folio has " discords," but the " discord " of
the old play is clearly right.
51. Indigested. Shapeless ; as in 2 Hen. VI. v. I. 157. Cf.
indigest in Sonn. 114. 5. The folio has " To wit, an indigested and
deformed lumpe ; " and the old play " To wit : an vndigest created
lumpe." The " To wit " seems to have been accidentally retained
in rewriting the line.
79. Let hell make croo&d, etc. After this line Theobald inserted
from the old play : " I had no father, I am like no father."
80. Brother. The word is used in a figurative sense, of course ;
and, as Qarke remarks, " there is also a fine bold play upon the
word, as marking that the speaker owns no tie of brotherhood or
affectionate fraternity with either Edward or Clarence, who are
merely born his brothers."
85. Sort. Sort out, find out. Cf. Hen. V. iv. 7. 77, R. and J.
iv. 2. 34, etc.
86. Buzz. Whisper. Cf. Rich. II. ii. 1. 26, Hen. VIII. ii. 1.
148, etc.
Scene VII. — 1. In. Changed by Rowe to "on;" but in iv.
3. 63 above he leaves the old text : " seated in the regal throne."
Cf. also i. 1. 22, 84, and 125.
2. Re-purchafd. Regained ; not found elsewhere in S. Pur-
chase often = gain, win.
4. In tops of. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. i. 2. 49 and A. and C.v.i. 43.
6. For. As being. Undoubted '= fearless ; as in 1 Hen. VI. iii.
3-41.
10. Brave dears. Referring to the badge of the Warwicks, the
bear and ragged staff. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. v. 1. 144.
18. Went. It is remarkable that some meddlesome editor has
not " corrected " this to " Gone." Went as participle is occasion-
ally found in other Elizabethan writers.
228 Notes [Act v
25. Work thou the way, — and that shall execute. As Johnson
and Malone have noted, thou must refer to his head, which he
touches ; and that to his hand, which he indicates by some appro-
priate gesture. That may, however, refer to shoulder, as White
makes it. The 1st and 2d folios have " that shalt," and the old
play (followed by Capell and others) " thou shalt."
30. Thanks, noble Clarence, etc. " The folio assigns this line to
Clarence, with a new prefix, ' Cla., 1 which is evidently a misprint of
' Qu;' for the line is assigned to her in the old version, and most
appropriately, when Clarence kisses her son in token of reconcilia-
tion. Theobald restored it to her. In King Charles I.'s copy,
however, his majesty, in the plenary exercise of his royal preroga-
tive, and in ignorance of the old version, changed Cla. to King,
which Steevens discovering, that distribution was loyally adopted,
and has hitherto been preserved, although in defiance of authority,
and in opposition to the finer significance of the speech " (White).
34. Whenas. See on i. 2. 74 above.
39. Sicils, See on i. 4. 122 above.
40. Sent it. That is, the money thus raised.
41. Waft. Cf. iii. 3. 253 above.
42. Rests. Remains ; as in i. 2. 44 and iv. 2. 13 above.
43. Triumphs. Pageants. The word had come to mean "a
public festivity or exhibition of any kind, particularly a tourna-
ment " (Schmidt). Cf. T. G. of V. iv. 4. 161 : "With triumphs,
mirth, and rare solemnity;" Rich, II. v. 2. 52: "justs and tri-
umphs," etc. Steevens quotes The Duke of Anjotts Entertaine-
ment at Antwerp, 1581 : " Yet notwithstanding, their triumphes
[those of the Romans] have so borne the bell above all the rest,
that the word triumphing, which cometh thereof, hath been applied
to all high, great, and statelie dooings."
APPENDIX
Greene's Groatsworth of Wrr
The full title of Greene's book (p. 12 above) in the edition of
1596, the earliest extant, is as follows: " Greens Groats-worth of
Wit, bought with a Million of Repentaunce. Describing the follie
of youth, the falsehoode of make-shift flatterers, the miserie of the
negligent, and mischiefes of deceiving Courtesans. Written before
his death and published at his dying request. Faelicem fuisse
infaustum." The dedication is " To those Gentlemen, his quondam
acquaintance, that spend their wits in making Plaies, R. G. wisheth
a better exercise, and wisdome to prevent his extremities."
The passage in which the reference to Shakespeare occurs reads
thus: —
" If wofull experience may moove you, gentlemen, to beware, or
unheard of wretchednes intreate you to take heed, I doubt not but
you will looke backe with sorrow on your time past, and endevour
with repentance to spend that which is to come. Wonder not, for
with thee wil I first begin, thou famous gracer of tragedians, that
Greene, who hath said with thee, like the foole in his heart, there
is no God, should now give glorie unto His greatnesse. . . .
"With thee I joyne young Juvenall, that byting satyrst that
lastlie with mee together writ a comedie. Sweete boy, might
I advise thee, be advised, and get not many enemies by bitter
words ; inveigh against vaine men, for thou canst do it, no man
better, no man so wel ; thou hast a libertie to reproove all, and
name none ; for one being spoken to, al are offended ; none being
blamed, no man is injured. . . .
229
230 Appendix
" And thou, no lesse deserving than the other two, in some things
rarer, in nothing inferiour ; driven (as myselfe) to extreame shifts ;
a little have I to say to thee ; and were it not an idolatrous oth, I
would sweare by sweet S. George thou art unworthie better hap,
sith thou dependest on so meane a stay. Base minded men al
three of you, if by my miserie ye be not warned ; for unto none
of you, like me, sought those burres to cleave ; those puppets, I
meane, that speake from our mouths, those anticks garnisht in our
colours. Is it not strange that I, to whom they al have beene
beholding, is it not like that you to whome they all have beene
beholding, shall, were ye in that case that I am now, be both at
once of them forsaken ? Yes, trust them not ; for there is an
upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that, with his Tygers
heart wrapt in a Players hide, supposes he is as well able to bum-
bast out a blanke verse as the best of you ; and being an absolute
Johannes Factotum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in
a countrie." . . .
Here Greene begins by addressing three dramatists — Marlowe,
Peele, and probably Lodge — and then turns to the actors — " pup-
pits that speake from our mouths " (that is, declaim our produc-
tions), against whom his wrath is mainly directed. He then goes
on to refer incidentally to " two more, that both have writ against
these buckram gentlemen " (the actors), but does not dwell upon
them. He then reverts to the three dramatists : " But now returne
I againe to you three," and urges them to take warning from his
wretched fate : " Delight not, as I have done, in irreligious oaths ;
for from the blasphemer's house a curse shall not depart. Despise
drunkennes, which wasteth the wit and making [sic] men all equal
unto beasts. Flie lust, as the deathsman of the soule, and defile not
the temple of the Holy Ghost."
In December of the same year, Henry Chettle, who had pub-
lished Greene's pamphlet for him, brought out his own Kind-Harts
Dreame, in the preface to which he says : —
"About three moneths since d\ed VI. Rataxt Greene, leaving
Appendix 23 1
many papers in sundry bookesellers hands, among other his Groats-
worth of Wit, in which a letter, written to divers play-makers, is
offensively by one or two of them taken. . . . With neither of
them that take offence was I acquainted, and with one of them I
care not if I never be. The other, whome at that time I did not
so much spare as since I wish I had, for that, as I have moderated
the heate of living writers, and might have usde my owne discretion,
— especially in such a case, the author beeing dead, — that I did
not I am as sory as if the originall fault had beene my fault, be-
cause myselfe have seene his demeanor no lesse civill, than he
exelent in the qualitie he professes; — besides, divers of worship
have reported his uprightnes of dealing, which argues his honesty,
and his facetious grace in writting, that aprooves his art."
In this passage " The other, whome at that time I did not so much
spare " is assumed by nearly all the biographers and critics to be
Shakespeare ; but a few of them (Fleay, Ingleby, and the " Baco-
nian " writers) hold a different opinion. Chettle refers to Greene's
letter as " written to divers play-makers? and as " offensively by
one or two of them taken." The "one or two " appears from the
context to mean just two : " With neither of them that take offence
was I acquainted, and with one of them I care not if I never be.
The other? etc. This " other," it would seem at first sight, must be
one of the three " play-makers " addressed by Greene, not one of
the " puppets," or actors, against whom he warns them. Some one
suggests that Chettle did not have Greene's book before him when
he wrote, and that, having been particularly impressed by the sneer
at Shakespeare, he apologized for it and expressed his own high
opinion of the victim, without noticing that he had not made it
quite clear to whom he referred. But it seems to me probable
enough that, whether he was looking at the book or not, he might
have written " them " carelessly, having in mind the persons to
whom he was about to refer, and not observing that it would appear
to refer to those just mentioned.
It is generally agreed that Greene's " beavxW&fc& n«YB&. wax \*»&^
232 Appendix
ers " alludes to acting, though some regard it as insinuating plagia-
rism; but "bumbast out a blank e verse" (which, taken by itself,
might refer to declaiming verse on the stage) appears from the
context to mean the writing of such verse. The words, " as the
best of you," are evidently addressed to the dramatists, who, though
they may all have been actors at some time in their lives, are here
viewed by Greene as authors.
The "Johannes Factotum " indicates that Shakespeare is alluded
to in some other capacity than that of a mere actor. "A tygers
heart wrapt in a players hide " is obviously a parody of " O tiger's
heart wrapp'd in a woman's hide!" in 3 Henry VI (i. 4. 137).
That play, then, had been produced before Greene wrote in August,
1592, or earlier, and 1 and 2 Henry VI. had preceded it. Besides
his work upon these plays (and possibly upon T. A.) Shakespeare
had already written L.L.L., C. of E., and T. G. of V. f and must
therefore have been well known as an author no less than an actor.
We may assume, then, that Shakespeare is the " other " person
meant by Chettle. He is complimented first upon his acting (the
interpretation that all give to "the qualitie he professes"), and the
reference to his "facetious [felicitous] grace in writing" comes in
at the end of the passage as a part of the credit accorded to him
by " divers of worship.'* It is quite certain that Chettle would not
refer in that way to Marlowe or any other of Greene's three drama-
tists, all of whom had established their reputation as authors. It
would be damning them with faint praise, but it was no slight com-
pliment to the 'prentice work of Shakespeare, who, after retouching
old plays for the stage, was beginning to try his hand at original
dramatic composition. The " qualitie he professes " clearly suggests
that acting was the regular profession, or occupation, of the person
referred to, and this was not true of Marlowe, Peele, or Lodge. At
that time they would have regarded it as anything but a compliment
to be included among the " puppets " at whom Greene had sneered
as noteworthy merely for being " beautified with our feathers."
Appendix 233
The Time-Analysis of the Play
This is summed up by Mr. P. A. Daniel ( Trans, of New Shaks.
Soc. for 1877-79. p. 323) as follows : —
" Time of this play, 20 days represented on the stage, with in-
tervals; suggesting a period in all of say 12 months.
Day 1. Act I. sc. i.
Interval: March of the Queen from London to join
with her allies, etc.
" 2. Act I. sc. ii.-iv.
Interval : rather more than ten days.
[At the beginning of the next scene * Enter Edward, Richard,
and their power,' newly escaped, apparently from the battle of
Wakefield. They are yet ignorant of their father's fate when a
messenger arrives to tell them of his death. ' Enter one blowing,'
is the stage direction of the folio when this messenger makes his
appearance, and we must imagine that he also has but just fled from
the battle; yet a few minutes afterwards, when Warwick and
Montague join them, we learn that to Warwick the news of York's
death is ten days old; and that since then, with King Henry in his
custody, he has encountered the Queen at St. Alban's and been
defeated — the King escaping to the Queen — and Warwick, with
George of York and the Duke of Norfolk, are come in post-haste
to the marches, having heard that Edward was ' making another
head to fight again.']
Day 3. Act II. sc. i.
Interval: The march to York.
" 4. Act II. sc. ii.-vi.
Interval: during which we are to suppose the flight
of Henry and Margaret to Scotland ; the departure
thence of the latter to France; the coronation of
King Edward, and the departure of Warwick on his
embassy to France.
u 5. Act III. sc. i.
234 Appendix
Interval: the journey of the captive King Henry to
London.
Day 6. Act III. sc. ii.
Interval: marriage of King Edward, and journey of
the messenger to the French Court.
7. Act III. sc. iii.
Interval: return of Edward's messenger from France.
8. Act IV. sc. i.
Interval: a few ' dramatic ' days, perhaps.
9. Act IV. sc. ii. and iii.
Interval: time for news of these events to reach Lon-
don.
10. Act IV. sc. iv.
Interval: some weeks probably.
11. Act IV. sc. v.
Interval : time for news of Edward's escape to reach
London.
" 12. Act IV. sc. vi.
Interval : return of Edward from Flanders.
" 13. Act IV. sc. vii.
Interval,
" 14. Act IV. sc. viii. (to line 32).
Interval,
" 15. Act IV. sc. viii. (line 32 to end).
[The probability of the plot absolutely requires a separate scene
' here ; otherwise we have Henry talking of his forces which are
not yet levied as in existence, and Edward speaking of Warwick,
who has only just left the stage, as now remaining at Coventry.]
Interval: march of Edward from London to Coventry.
Day 16. Act V. sc. i.
Interval : march from Coventry to Barnet.
" 17. Act V. sc. ii. and iii.
Interval : march from Barnet to Tewksbury.
" 1 8. Act V. sc. iv. and v,
Appendix 235
Interval : Gloster's journey from Tewksbury to Lon-
don.
Day 19. Act V. sc. vi.
Interval.
[Notwithstanding Gloster's intention to make a bloody supper
in the Tower on the night of Tewksbury, I incline to give a sepa-
rate day to this scene. The dramatist, perhaps, would not have
been prevented by the 130 miles between the two places from
including this and the preceding scene in one day, but he has sug-
gested a certain lapse of time by making Henry acquainted, evi-
dently before the appearance of Gloster, with the fatal result of
Tewksbury fight, and the murder of his young son which followed
it. I mark, therefore, a separate day for this scene, and an inter-
val between it and the last.]
Day 20. Act V. sc. vii.
The historic period here dramatized commences on the day of
the battle of St. Alban's, 23d May, 1455, and ends on the day on
which Henry VI.'s body was exposed in St. Paul's, 22d May, 147 1.
Queen Margaret, however, was not ransomed and sent to France
till 1475."
List of Characters in the Play
The numbers in parentheses indicate the lines the characters
have in each scene.
King Henry: i. 1(75); ii. 2(23), 5(78); Hi. 1(69); iv. 6(46),
8(22); v. 6(49). Whole no. 362.
Edward: i. 1(5), 2(9); ii. 1(40), 2(38), 3(15), 6(23); Hi.
2(57)5 iv. 1(63), 3(»), 5(8). 7(43). 8(10); v. 1(28), 2(4),
3(16), 4(6), 5(23), 7(30). Whole no. 429.
King Lewis : Hi. 3(66). Whole no. 66.
Somerset: iv. 1(1), 3(1), 6(13); v. 1(1), 2(12), 4(4)* 5(0-
Whole no. 33.
Exeter : i. 1(12) ; ii. 5(3) ; iv. 8(2). Whole no* i*j.
236 Appendix
Oxford: iii. 3(19) ; iv. 3(2), 6(2), 8(1) ; v. 1(1), 2(1), 4(8),
5(1). Whole no. 35.
Clifford: i. 1(18), 3(26), 4(13) ; ii. 2(46), 4(7), 6(30). Whole
no. 140.
Richard: i. 1(6), 2(21) ; ii. 1(65), 2(20), 3(13), 4(6), 6(23) ;
i". 2(93) ; ^ 1(22), 5(18), 7(12), 8(3) ; v. 1(19), 3(4), 5(12),
6(44), 7(9). Whole no. 390.
Prince Edward: i. 1(4) ; ii. 2(8), 5(3) ; iii. 3(6) ; v. 4(12),
5(13). Whole no. 46.
Rutland: i. 3(24). Whole no. 24.
George: ii. 7(7), 3(11), 6(3) ; iii. 2(8) ; iv. 1(24), 2(1), 6(9),
8(3) ; v. 1(22), 3(4), 5(7), 7(6). Whole no. 105.
York: i. 1(37), 2(37), 4(99). Whole no. 173.
Norfolk: i. 1(3). Whole no. 3.
Montague: i. 1(5), 2(3); iv. 1(5), 8(1); v. 1(1). Whole
no. 15.
Warwick: i. 1(45) ; ii. 1(80), 2(5), 3(17), 6(31) ; iii. 3(91) ;
iv. 2(28), 3(28), 6(22), 8(22); v. 1(34), 2(33). Whole no.
436.
Northumberland: i. 1(13), 4(15) ; ii. 2(2). Whole no. 30.
Westmoreland: i. 1(11). Whole no. 11.
Hastings : iv. 1(8), 5(2), 7(10). Whole no. 20.
fohn Mortimer : i. 2(1). Whole no. I.
Rivers: iv. 4 (7). Whole no. 7.
Montgomery : iv. 7(14). Whole no. 14.
Somerville : v. 1(5). Whole no. 5.
Tutor : i. 3(3). Whole no. 3.
Mayor: iv. 7(5). Whole no. 5.
Lieutenant: iv. 6 (3). Whole no. 3.
Nobleman: iii. 2(2). Whole no. 2.
1st Keeper: iii. 1(18). Whole no. 18.
2d Keeper : iii. 1(14). Whole no. 14.
Son: ii. 5(22). Whole no. 22.
Farter: ii. 5(27). Whole no. 27.
Appendix 237
1st Messenger : i. 2(4) ; ii. 1(24), 2(6) ; v. 1(1), 4(2). Whole
no. 37.
2d Messenger : v. 1(1). Whole no. 1.
Post: iii. 3(4) ; iv. 1(18), 6(7). Whole no. 29.
1 st Watchman : iv. 3(8). Whole no. 8.
2d Watchman : iv. 3(7). Whole no. 7.
$d Watchman : iv. 3(9). Whole no. 9.
Huntsman: iv. 5(2). Whole no. 2.
Soldier : iv. 7(3). Whole no. 3.
Queen Margaret: i. 1(42), 4(53) ; ii. 2(22), 5(6) ; iii. 3(73) ;
v - 4(5°), 5(33)- Whole no. 279.
Lady Grey: iii. 2(36); iv. 1(8), 4(28); v. 7(1). Whole
no. 73.
Bona: iii. 3(9). Whole no. 9.
"All" : iv. 2(1), 7(1), 8(1). Whole no. 3.
Sir Hugh Mortimer is on the stage in i. 2, the Earl of Pembroke
and Lord Stafford in iv. 1, Sir William Stanley in iv. 5, and
Henry {Earl of Richmond} in iv. 6 ; but they do not speak.
In the above enumeration, parts of lines are counted as whole
lines, making the total in the play greater than it is. The actual
number of lines in each scene (Globe edition numbering) is as fol-
lows: i. 1(273), 2(75), 3(52), 4(180) ; ii. 1(209), 2(177). 3(5 6 ),
4(i3)» 5(139), 6(110); iii. 1(101), 2(195), 3(265); iv. 1(149),
2(30), 3(64), 4(35), 5( 2 9), 6(102), 7(88), 8(65); v. 1(113), 2(50),
3(24), 4(82), 5(90), 6(93), 7(46). Whole number of lines in the
play, 2905.
INDEX OF WORDS AND PHRASES
EXPLAINED
abodements, 2x7
aboding, 226
abuse (= deception), 212
advertise (accent), 193,
216, 222
iEsop, 224
age (= generation) , 197
aim (= guess) , 265
all in post, 225
apparent (noun), 196
appointed (= equipped),
193
apprehension (metre), 206
argosy, 203
arrive (transitive), 222
as (omitted), 189, 220
as (=that), 186
assay (= try) , 190
Atlas, 220
attend (= wait for) , 2x7
bad success, 195
balm (= consecrated oil),
204
bands (= bonds), 185
basilisk, 208
battle (=army), 183, 196
bears (badge of War-
wick) , 227
bear-whelp, unlicked, 207
beaver (= helmet) , 183
bells (of hawk), 184
beseems, 218
bewray, 185, 210
bird (= eaglet), 193
blood-sucking signs, 215
blowing of his nails, 199
blunt (= rough) , 218, 221
Bourbon, Lord, 2x1
body's length (= grave),
22 x
breech (= breeches), 204
broker (= agent), 212
brother (figurative), 227
brotherly (adverb), 2x4
bruit, 218
buckle, 189
buckler (verb), 210
budged, 188
bug (= bugbear), 221
buried (trisyllable), 206
buy (= pay for), 220
buzz (= whisper), 227
callat, 197
captain (trisyllable), 2x7
captivate, 190
case is altered, the, 2x4
chafed, 202
challenge (= claim) , 216
channel (= gutter), 197
charm your tongue, 224
chase (— game), 198
cheerly, 223
Clarence, Duke of, 183
coast (= hover around),
186
complices, 2x4
confiscate (participle), 216
contention (metre), 187
conveyance (= fraud), 2x0
conveyed (= kidnapped) ,
217
coronation (metre), 203
courage (soft), 195
courage (weak of), 2x2
coverture, 213
currish riddles, 224
Daintry, 220
darraign, 196
day (dissyllable?), 199
deadly (adverb), 189
deck (= pack of cards) ,
220
delicates, 199
detect (= expose), 197
devil's butcher, 335
devouring paws, 188
dii faciant laudis summa
sit ista tuae, 188
disannuls, 209
do him dead, 190
do thee service, 220
done his shrift, 205, 2x0
done to death, 193
doubt (=fear), 3x9
doubted (= suspected),
213
Dunsmore, 220
cag«r (=sour), 203
ean, 199
effuse (noun) , 203
embassade, 2x4
empty (= hungry), 186
envy (= hatred), 210
eternal (= perennial) , 2x0
evil it beseems, 318
Exeter, Duke of, 183, 187
extraught, 197
fare (=luck), 193
Faulconbridge, 186
fear (affright), 2x1, 221
fear (= fear for), 205
fearful (= timorous), 184,
195, 202
fees (on leaving prison),
2x6
fence (= defend), 203, 210
fires (dissyllable), 192
fondly (= foolishly) , 195
fool (in pity) , 199
for (= as being), 227
for (=as regards), 2x4
for (= in order that), 204,
™7..
depart (noun) , \<$j, i\% V tet %Va&, 10s
departing = ^patun£) ,2o-i\ taRfaxA, v^\
2#
Index of Words and Phrases 239
forlorn (noun), 209
forslow, 198
forspent, 198
forward of, 219
Gabriel (actor), 187
gin (= snare) , 189
give head, 186
rod he knows, 191
government, 191
granted to, 186
guerdoned, 211
Hames Castle, 223
hard-favoured, 225
hasty (= rash) , 218
haught, 194
head (= armed force) , 194
heated spleen, 193
Henry (trisyllable), 184,
185, 209
him pleaseth, 203
Holland, Henry, 187
honesty (= chastity), 205
hope of Troy, 102
horizon (accent), 218
horse (plural), 190
hour (dissyllable), 199
Humfrey (actor), 204
Hyrcama (tigers of), 191
if case, 223
impaled, 208, 211
impeach (noun), 189
in (=on), 227
in earth, 198
in place (= present), 213,
216
in post, 21 x
in respect, 224
in thy shoulder, 203
in tops of, 227
indigested, 227
inferring (= adducing),
. J?* 204
injurious (= insolent), 209
inly (= inward) , 191
irks, 195
is become, 191, 215
is set him down, 2x3
Jephtha, 221
keep the wind, 205
lade (= bail), 207
laund, 204
level (=aim), 195
lime (= cement), 221
limed, 226
long of, 2x7
look upon, 198
Machiavel, 208
make a lane, 188
make head, 194
make prescription for, 2x0
male to one sweet bird, 226
marches (= borders), 194
marriage (metre), 209
me (reflexive), 207
meeds (= merits) , 192, 219
Menelaus, 197
mermaid (= siren), 208
mess (= party of four),
Middleham Castle, 2x6
mind (= mean), 2x2, 2x3
misdoubteth, 226
misthink, 202
moe, 194
Montague, Marquess of,
182
mought, 222
mourning-weeds done, 21 3
muse (= wonder) , 206
mutinies, 189
naked (without armour),
223
napkin (= handkerchief) ,
189
narrow seas, the, x86, 2x8
neat (= cattle) , 192
news (number), 2x0
night-owl's flight, 194
Norfolk, Duke of, X82
Northumberland, Earl of,
183
obdurate (accent), 191
object, 226
obsequious, 202
occasions (metre), 208
of (= instead of), 209
overgone, 202
overpeered, 22X
Oxford, Earl of, x8a
pale ( = enclose) , 190
parcel of my fear, 226
park, 330
passing (= surpassing),
22 x
passion (trisyllable), 214
patience (trisyllable), 183
peevish (= silly), 226
Pembroke, Earl of, 183
perforce, 184
geriod (=end), 223
haethon, 188, 202
poor fool, 199
possessed with, 200
post (= haste), 187, 2x1
posted off, 219
prescription, 210
present (= represent), 202
presumption (metre), 226
pretend (== assert), 2x7
prick (= dial-point) , 188
Prince of Wales, 182
prize, 189
Proteus, 208
puissant (dissyllable), 194
purchase (= win), 227
quaintly, 199
racking, 192
ragged (= nigged), 223
rain (= tears), 191
ramping, 221
raught, 189
Ravenspurg, 217
rebellion (metre), 185
remorse (= pity), 204, 225
rents (= rends), 208
repair (noun), 220
resolved (= satisfied), 191,
197, 205
rest (= remain) , 187, 228
retire (noun), 194
Richmond, Earl of, 2x6
rid (= destroy), 225
rids way, 222
rooked her, 226
Roscius, 225
ruinate, 221
ruthful, 202
Rutland, Earl of, 183
sadness (= seriousness) ,
205
sanctuary (at Westmin-
ster), 215
Sandal Castle, 185
240 Index of Words and Phrases
selfsame, 192
sennet, 185
Septentrion, 191
shake his bells, 184
shift (noun), 205
shrift, 205
Sicils, 190, 228
silly (= harmless), 199
silly (= poor, petty), 209
sinew (verb) , 203
Sinklo, 204
Sinon, 208
sith, 185, 188, 193
sit you fast, 213
sleight and manhood, 213
soft courage, 195
soldiers (trisyllable), 185
Somerset, Duke of, 182
soothe, 2x0
sort (=crew), 196
sort (= sort out) , 227
sorts (= suits), 194, 224
sour (figurative) , 204
spite of spite, 198
spleen, 193
split my breast, 202
sportful, 220
stale (= laughing-stock),
21 1
stars (= destiny), 2x6
stigmatic, 197
stratagems, 201
success (—issue), 195
such . . . which, 203
sudden (= hasty) , 225
suddenly (= quickly), 2x3
suffered, 219
sufficient (metre), 188
sun (heraldic), 222
suspect (noun), 213
tacklings (trisyllable), 223
tainted with remorse, 204
take on (= fret), 202
take the time, 220
temper with the stars, 216
that (= so that) , 204
Thracian fatal steeds, 2x3
tigers of Hyrcania, 191
tire on, x86
too late, 201
too-too, 190
toward (= forward), 196
triumphs (= pageants),
228
trow (= think), 221
Troy's true hope, 2x9
trull, 190
trumpet (= trumpeter),
220
turned me to, 224
type (= badge), 190
unbid (= unwelcome) , 220
undoubted (= fearless),
227
unlicked bear-whelp, 207
unwares, 200
usest (= art accustomed),
225
valued (= reckoned), 22a
venom (adjective), 197
via! 194
vizard-like, 190
waft, 228
water-flowing tears, 2x9
weak of courage, 2x2
weeping-ripe, 191
well appointed, 193
went (= gone), 227
Westmoreland, Earl of,
183
what (= who) ? 200, 2x4
when? (impatient), 220
whenas, 187, 192, 228
whileas, 187
willow (garland), 211
wishful, 204
wisp of straw. 197
wit (= policy), 218
wittingly, 195
witty (= intelligent) , 187
Woodville, Antony, 2x2
wot, 197, 218, 223
York, Duke of, 182
younker, 192
__ \— -
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